China detains a suspected Taiwanese separatist following Nancy Pelosi’s trip
- Yang Zhi-yuan, 32, is held in custody in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, on suspicion of endangering national security, state media reports
- Charges come amid several actions Beijing takes in response to the US house speaker’s visit to Taipei, including new military exercises and sanctions
China on Wednesday detained a suspected Taiwanese separatist on the mainland amid a series of actions taken after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the island.
Yang Zhi-yuan, a 32-year-old man born in the Taiwanese city of Taichung, was held in custody on suspicion of endangering national security by the National Security Agency of Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, state media reported.
Yang was accused of being a long-time advocate of “Taiwan independence” and having founded a “Taiwan Nationalist Party”, which is illegal according to Chinese law. If convicted, he might face punishment up to a death penalty.
Earlier on Wednesday, Chinese authorities announced their intention to crack down on “Taiwanese separatists” and linked it to tensions over Pelosi’s trip.
The Communist Party’s Taiwan Affairs Office said in a statement that “some stubborn Taiwan independence separatists” are “willing to be a pawn of foreign anti-China forces”, stirring up cross-strait confrontation and endangering peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
The goal of Yang’s political party is “promoting Taiwan to become a sovereign and independent country and join the United Nations” and advocating a “referendum on independence and forming a state”, according to the statement.