Taiwan publisher Fu Cha out of prison but unable to leave China: Source

Taipei, June 10 (CNA) Fu Cha (富察), editor-in-chief of Taiwan-based Gūsa Publishing, was released from prison in May after serving a three-year sentence on secessionism charges but remains barred from leaving China, a source familiar with the matter told CNA.

Fu Cha, the pen name of Li Yanhe (李延賀), will still be deprived of his political rights for one year following his release as an additional penalty, said the anonymous source, who has maintained contact with his family.

The Chinese-language Liberty Times also reported Monday, citing an anonymous source, that Fu Cha had been released and reunited with his family, with the source saying he "appeared to be free, but unable to leave the country."

China's Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) on Wednesday did not confirm whether Fu Cha had been released or say when he would be allowed to leave China.

At a regular news briefing in Beijing, TAO spokesperson Zhang Han (張晗) said only that "relevant authorities have always handled the case in accordance with the law, while also protecting the lawful rights and interests of the individual concerned."

Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council declined to confirm Fu Cha's reported release on Tuesday, citing consideration for his family.

A Chinese national with residency in Taiwan, Fu Cha was detained by national security authorities in Shanghai on March 21, 2023, after returning to China to visit family and handle residency-related matters.

In February 2025, the Shanghai First Intermediate People's Court sentenced him to three years in prison for "inciting to split the country," along with one year of deprivation of political rights and confiscation of 50,000 Chinese yuan (US$7,377) in personal assets.

Fu Cha's case was later cited in reports by Chinese authorities as a concrete example of the punishment of "Taiwan independence" activities, and widely publicized during China's annual "two sessions" political meetings.

Born in 1971 in the Chinese province of Liaoning, Fu Cha is married to a Taiwanese woman and has held residency in Taiwan since 2013.

Fu Cha founded Gūsa in Taipei in 2009. Over the years, the company has published books that are often critical of the Chinese Communist Party and touch on issues considered politically sensitive in China.

The case has highlighted the risks Chinese spouses of Taiwanese nationals may face when seeking citizenship, as local media have reported that Fu Cha had returned to China to cancel his household registration there -- a required step in the process.