THE British embassy in Beijing has asked the Chinese authorities to clarify the offences with which Ming Pao reporter Xi Yang has been charged, said the Secretary for Home Affairs, Michael Suen Ming-yeung. Xi was officially arrested on October 7 after being held since September 27 over espionage allegations linked with information he obtained on the mainland. Mr Suen said the Hong Kong Government had asked the embassy to request clarification of the alleged offences, and urged the Chinese authorities to allow Xi to receive visits from his Ming Pao colleagues, his family and any lawyer he appointed to represent him. ''In addition, we have drawn the attention of the Chinese authorities to the wider concerns raised in Hong Kong by this case - in particular the difficulties faced by Hong Kong journalists operating in China in understanding what is legal and what is not,'' he added.
