Straits Times journalist got transcripts from an associate of the late premier
Mainland security authorities have detained a Hong Kong journalist who went to Guangzhou to collect a series of secret interviews with the late former Communist Party leader Zhao Ziyang .
Authorities are planning to charge Ching Cheong, 55, with stealing state secrets.
Ching, who works for Singapore-based The Straits Times, was taken into custody on April 22 as he was about to collect from a source the interviews conducted by Zong Fengmin, a former party official and a long-time associate of Zhao's, his wife, May Lau, said.
His newspaper has not reported the detention. It issued a statement saying it had been told by the Chinese embassy in Singapore that Ching 'is assisting security authorities in Beijing with an investigation into a matter not related to The Straits Times'.
The Singaporean embassy in Beijing said it was not involved. It is understood Ching held Singaporean permanent residency, but not citizenship.
A source said the newspaper lost contact with Ching in late April. The Straits Times was understood to have tried in vain to secure his freedom.
