News / China

Taipei, Beijing quarrel over arrest in ‘spying’ case

Monday, 13 March 2017 5:57 AM [ Last Update: Monday, 13 March 2017 5:57 AM ]

Taiwan’s Deputy justice minister Chen Ming-tang

A senior Taiwanese official says China does not correctly understand self-ruled Taiwan’s judicial system, days after Beijing accused Taiwan of seeking to stir up tensions by arresting a Chinese national over espionage charges.

Taiwanese authorities detained a Chinese student on suspicion of breaching national security laws on Friday, according to a court official. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) spokesman Ma Xiaoguang reacted to the detention by describing it as “deliberate fabrication.”

On Monday, Taiwan’s Deputy Justice Minister Chen Ming-tang hit back by saying that the Chinese official’s remarks indicated Beijing’s “misunderstanding of Taiwan’s judicial system and Taiwan’s democratic system.”

“Basically, we will handle this according to law,” Chen said. “We will not make up charges.”

A photo provided by Taiwanese media shows a Chinese student identified as Zhou Hongxu with a blurred face. He has been arrested in Taiwan over espionage charges.

Chen also denied that Taipei was using the case to provoke tensions with Beijing. He said the arrest had been made in accordance with a mutual legal assistance pact between Taiwan and Beijing and China’s public security bureau had been notified of the detention.

Taiwan has said an investigation into the case is ongoing and that information about the case is classified.

China regards Taiwan as a breakaway province. Relations between mainland China and Taiwan have been especially fraught since Tsai Ing-wen, of Taiwan’s pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party, rose to power in the island following a presidential election in 2016.

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