The wife of detained journalist Ching Cheong says she has heard speculation that he is likely to be released before July 1.

But Mary Lau Man-yee could not confirm a report by a local Chinese-language newspaper saying Ching would be paroled before the handover anniversary.

Ching, chief China correspondent for Singapore's The Straits Times, was jailed for five years for spying for Taiwan. He was first detained on April 22, 2004 and transferred from Beijing to Guangzhou on January 31 this year to serve his term.