Freed HK journalist admits to China-Taiwan mediation work
2008-02-22

Nations Taiwan Hong Kong City Hong Kong Event HK Reporter Spy Case 2008 Beijing Olympics

Freed Hong Kong journalist Ching Cheong who was jailed on spying charges Friday admitted to being involved in mediation efforts between China and Taiwan.

Ching, 58, who had been chief China correspondent for Singapore's The Straits Times, was released last month on parole after spending nearly three years in jail on charges of spying for Taipei.

In its original verdict, a Beijing court said Ching passed on information, some of it top secret, to two people from a Taiwanese foundation who were in fact deputies of an intelligence agency.

Ching wrote some articles for the foundation but has denied being involved in spying.

In an interview with Hong Kong's RTHK radio, however, he admitted his work with the foundation involved "mediating between authorities on both sides" rather than pure journalism.

"Let me put it this way, I'm very concerned with the safety, the security of my country and whenever I see things pointing to a war or danger I will offer myself to try to relieve it," he said.

Ching said he saw what he did as patriotic and in China's interests.

When asked what he had learned from his experience he said: "I hope to keep an appropriate distance between journalism and political mediating."

The question of Taiwan is particularly sensitive to China.

Taiwan and China split in 1949 after a civil war but Beijing still regards the island as part of its territory to be reunited with the mainland, by force if necessary.

Ching originally received a five-year jail term after a one-day trial behind closed doors.

The journalist on Thursday said he contemplated suicide in a "spiral of despair" while in jail but maintained he was innocent of the spying charges.

"I have stressed in court I never had any intention to work as a spy, that at no time was I in possession of any national secrets, let alone handing them over to Taiwan," he told a press conference in Hong Kong.

Ching's case had attracted international attention, highlighting fears China was cracking down on foreign and domestic journalists in the run-up to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.