FORMER prisoner and veteran campaigner Harry Wu Hongda has become the latest pawn in the US-Sino political dispute.
American consular officials were on their way to the city of Horgas, where Mr Wu was detained as he tried to cross into China from Kazakhstan last week, US State Department spokesman Christine Shelly said.
Mr Wu, head of the California-based Laogai Research Institute and a regular investigator into forced labour camps and the trade in human organs in China, was apparently on another secret mission but was recognised by officials at passport control.
China confirmed Mr Wu was under detention but said the activist was being investigated for illegally entering restricted areas during a visit last year.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Chen Jian said Mr Wu and his female American travelling companion had been stopped by border authorities as they entered Xinjiang on June 19.
Mr Chen, citing information from public security authorities, identified the second individual as Haowei'er Su - a Chinese transliteration of the name Sue Howell.
He denied that the pair had been 'arrested', saying the authorities had questioned their entry documents and visas and made investigations.