Prosecution of Taiwan-based publisher used for CCP propaganda: MAC

Taipei, March 17 (CNA) The case of a Taiwan-based publisher who was put on trial in the People's Republic of China (PRC) on "separatism" charges last month is being used by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for propaganda purposes, according to Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC).

In a statement released Monday, the MAC said the trial of Li Yanhe (李延賀), a Chinese national who ran Gūsa Publishing (八旗文化), is "aimed at suppressing Taiwan's publishing, academic and cultural circles" and creating "a chilling effect."

The case "demonstrates the nature of the Chinese Communist Party's dictatorship system," the MAC said, warning that Taiwanese people should be "aware of the risks" of traveling to the PRC.

As editor-in-chief of Gūsa, an affiliate of Taiwan's second-largest publisher Book Republic Publishing Group, Li published multiple books over the years that criticized the CCP, and, according to the MAC, made "significant contributions" to Taiwan's publishing industry.

Born in 1971 in China's northern Liaoning province, Li moved to Taiwan in 2009 and founded Gūsa the same year. He is married to a Taiwanese woman.

Li, also known by his pen name Fu Cha (富察), was detained by police in Shanghai in March 2023 on suspicion of "engaging in activities that jeopardize national security," according to China's Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO).

The TAO said on Monday that Li was tried for "the crime of inciting to split the country," and the "public verdict" was given at the Shanghai First Intermediate People's Court on Feb. 17, 2025.

The TAO's statement -- exactly one month after the verdict was supposedly handed down -- is the first time the Chinese authorities have specifically mentioned a trial in Li's case.

The length of Li's sentence is still not publicly known.

The MAC statement said that the outcome of the trial was decided in advance, and the TAO's suggestion that Li was afforded legal rights under the PRC's judicial system was "a complete lie."

The MAC also said it has "full knowledge" of the case, but is refraining from sharing more details due to the wishes of Li's family.

Later on Monday, a support group for Li said it was "disappointed and shocked" by news of the trial, and described the secretive legal process that Li faced in China as a "black box."