The professional membership of the Taiwan Foreign Correspondents’ Club (TFCC) is aware of recent news reports concerning the sanctioning of five Taiwanese political commentators and media professionals, as well as their respective families, by the Chinese government. The sanctions represent an affront to free speech and the rights of journalists to operate without intimidation or reprisal.
The TFCC stands in solidarity with our Taiwanese colleagues and shares the concerns raised by the Association of Taiwan Journalists in a statement published on May 17. We urge the Chinese authorities to uphold the principles of freedom of speech and to refrain from actions that undermine journalistic independence and integrity.
Furthermore, it has been more than a year since Li Yanhe, Editor-in-Chief of Taiwanese publishing house Gusa, was detained on alleged national security charges while visiting Shanghai. We reiterate our call on the Chinese government to ensure Mr Li’s freedom of expression and other rights, including the right to a fair trial and to regular communication with his lawyers and family, are guaranteed.
Taipei, May 18th 2024