Missing Taiwanese professor Shih Cheng-ping detained in mainland China over ‘threat to national security'
- Beijing authorities confirm that former academic who disappeared in August last year was under investigation
- News comes ahead of island’s elections and follows detention of two other Taiwanese, but mainland officials insist there is nothing unusual about the cases
A former Taiwanese professor missing since August last year has been detained in mainland China, the authorities confirmed on Wednesday.
Shih Cheng-ping, 56, is the third Taiwanese man whose detention has been confirmed in recent months.
In September the mainland authorities announced that businessman Tsai Jin-shu and volunteer activity organiser Lee Meng-chu were also being held.
Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office, told a press conference in Beijing on Wednesday that all three were being investigating for “activities endangering national security”, but denied there was anything unusual about their cases.
“The mainland has always followed the law in cracking down on criminal activities that endanger national security. It is normal law enforcement. There isn’t a period of time where the [number of detainees] appears to be a lot or abnormal,” he said.
The detentions come at a time of heightened cross-strait tensions, with restrictions having been placed on travel for mainland residents since July.