Chinese journalist’s detained brother denies he’s being held for political reasons

The detained brother of a Chinese dissident has denied he was held over an online call for President Xi Jinping to resign, according to a letter released by police.

Germany-based writer Chang Ping – whose given name is Zhang Ping – has said authorities detained three of his family members in connection with the online call, whose authorship is unclear and which appears to have prompted a wide-ranging inquiry.

Chang is presently a commentator with German broadcaster Deutsche Welle.

Police in Sichuan province said Chang’s relatives were in fact being held for suspected arson.

They released what they said was a handwritten letter from his brother Zhang Wei denying Chang’s claims, the state-run Sichuan Online website said.

“My brother Zhang Ping does not understand the truth of the situation, apparently he is saying we were kidnapped for political reasons,” it read. “The real situation is not like that.”