U.S. report includes Taiwanese activist among political prisoners in China

Washington, Dec. 10 (CNA) The U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) released its annual report Wednesday, documenting individuals detained or indicted by Beijing authorities, including Taiwanese activist Yang Chih-yuan (楊智淵).

The report urged members of the U.S. Congress to raise these cases when meeting with Chinese representatives.

Established by Congress under the U.S.-China Relations Act of 2000, the CECC monitors human rights and the rule of law in China and submits an annual report to both the president and Congress.

CECC Chair and Republican Senator Dan Sullivan, along with Co-chair and Republican Representative Chris Smith, said the report ensures that "political prisoners are not forgotten" and that "atrocities are documented."

The report also encourages U.S. lawmakers to use its database for up-to-date information on individual and group political prisoners.

This year's report highlights a subset of individuals detained or sentenced by the People's Republic of China (PRC) for peacefully exercising internationally recognized rights, a group that includes Yang.

Yang was arrested in August 2022 in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, on accusations of long-term involvement in "Taiwan independence" activities and suspected violations of national security laws.

Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council strongly condemned Yang's nine-year sentence at the time, saying the charges targeted conduct common among Taiwanese and reflected the PRC's attempt to intimidate the public in Taiwan while expanding its political influence.

Yang is a co-founder of the now-defunct Taiwanese National Party, serving as its deputy chair in 2019. He also ran in the 2020 legislative election in New Taipei's Zhonghe District as a candidate for the Taiwan Action Party Alliance.