TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwanese human rights activist Lee Ming-che (李明哲) urged the government to impose stricter restrictions on religious exchanges initiated by Chinese organizations.
Lee said that any so-called exchanges permitted by Beijing are designed to align with the Chinese Communist Party’s political agenda, Liberty Times reported. He noted that religious organizations in China must establish communist party branches, effectively eliminating religious freedom.
Lee’s comments are in response to the detainment of three elderly Taiwanese members of the I-Kuan Tao religious group in China since October. Calls for their release have been ignored and Taiwanese officials have warned that if Beijing refuses to free them, travel risks for Taiwanese citizens to China will increase and cross-strait religious exchanges may be put on hold.
China's Taiwan Affairs Office Spokesperson Chen Binhua (陳斌華) said the three individuals were arrested by Guangdong authorities under Chinese law. Chen assured that the relevant departments would conduct trials and safeguard the legal rights of the accused.
The spokesperson accused Taiwan’s DPP government of political manipulation and obstructing cross-strait exchanges.
Lee was arrested and imprisoned in China in 2017 after Beijing deemed him a threat to national security. He was released in 2022.