A Chinese journalist who disappeared while seeking asylum abroad turned up on Wednesday, telling his wife by phone he voluntarily returned to China for an investigation, in the latest case of Beijing's increasingly strong reach beyond the mainland for wanted people.
He Fangmei said she spoke with her journalist husband, Li Xin, when she was summoned to a police station to receive his call. She said he told her his return was voluntary, but that she believes he was forcibly brought back and spoke against his own will.
Several people believed to be wanted by Chinese authorities have disappeared over the past year while overseas or in Hong Kong, and some critics allege that Chinese agents are abducting them without proper authorisation to bring them to the mainland for interrogation.
"Beijing used to take into account foreign governments and respect other countries' laws, but in tandem with its rising strengthen in economy and expanding political influence, Beijing is becoming more overt in its operations and feels it can lord over some neighboring countries," veteran dissident Hu Jia said.
"He won't tell me where he is in China, but asks me to stay rested and live my life. He asks me not to contact any outsider for it does no good to him or me," the wife said in voice and text message exchange with AP from the Henan province town of Xinxiang. "But I know that's the pattern, and Li completely spoke contrary to his own will."