US report slams China for persecuting Taiwanese activist Yang Chih-yuan

Taipei [Taiwan], December 12 : The US Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) has released its annual report denouncing China's deepening repression, particularly drawing attention to the case of Taiwanese activist Yang Chih-yuan, who has been detained on politically motivated charges.

The comprehensive report details numerous instances of arbitrary detention and unfair prosecution by Chinese authorities and urges US lawmakers to address these abuses in future dialogues with Beijing, as reported by The Taipei Times.

According to The Taipei Times, the CECC, established under the US-China Relations Act of 2000, monitors China's human rights conditions and the state of the rule of law, submitting its findings annually to both the US President and Congress.

CECC Chair Senator Dan Sullivan and Cochair Representative Chris Smith stated that the report serves as a reminder that "political prisoners must not be forgotten" and that "Beijing's atrocities must be documented and challenged." The commission also called upon members of Congress to utilise its detailed database on detained individuals, which provides updated information on political prisoners and victims of rights violations in China.

This year's edition places a specific focus on those punished for exercising internationally recognised freedoms, an area where China continues to tighten its grip through national security laws and surveillance tactics.

Among the highlighted cases is Yang Chih-yuan, who was arrested in August 2022 in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, on allegations of promoting "Taiwanese independence" and violating China's sweeping national security statutes, as cited by The Taipei Times.

Yang, a cofounder of the now-defunct Taiwanese National Party, previously served as its deputy chair in 2019 and contested the 2020 legislative elections in New Taipei City under the Taiwan Action Party Alliance.

Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council condemned the nine-year prison sentence imposed on Yang, saying it exposed Beijing's intent to intimidate Taiwanese citizens and weaponise its judicial system to extend political influence across the Strait, as reported by The Taipei Times.

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