Fucha Arrested in Mainland for 2 Years, Secretly Sentenced to 3 Years

Taiwanese Eight Banners Culture chief editor Fucha (Li Yanhe) went missing two years ago after entering mainland China. The Taiwan Affairs Office of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) announced today (26th) that Fucha has been sentenced to three years in prison for “inciting separatism.”

According to Central News Agency, the spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, Chen Binhua, held a routine press conference on the morning of the 26th. He stated that the Shanghai First Intermediate People’s Court publicly sentenced Li Yanhe on February 17 this year for “inciting separatism,” sentencing him to three years in prison, depriving him of political rights for one year, and confiscating his personal property of 50,000 yuan.

Chen Binhua stated that the party did not appeal within the statutory appeal period and the relevant judgment has taken effect. The party and family members are clear about the term of imprisonment.

Eight Banners Culture released a statement expressing deep sadness over the news of Fucha’s sentencing, stating, “At least now we can set a deadline for this waiting period.” For any further developments, please refer to announcements from the Mainland Affairs Council. Eight Banners Culture will no longer issue any other statements.

The Taiwan Affairs Office of the CCP previously stated on the 17th of this month that Fucha had committed the crime of “inciting separatism” and was publicly sentenced in a trial in Shanghai on February 17 this year, without disclosing the verdict.

Mainland Affairs Council Chairman Qiu Chuizheng stated on the 18th that the Taiwan Affairs Office claimed it was a public trial, but it was actually using Fucha as a propaganda tool.

Qiu Chuizheng said that the entire trial conducted by the CCP was secretive and conducted behind closed doors, with no public knowledge of Fucha’s actual crime or information from the court debates. The Taiwan Affairs Office’s claim to protect the judicial rights of the parties and defense lawyers is all lies. He urged the people of Taiwan to remember Fucha’s case, emphasizing the dangers of going to China. If travel to China is necessary, adequate safety preparations should be made and registration with the Mainland Affairs Council system is advisable to ensure necessary assistance can be provided by the government in case of emergencies.

Fucha, whose real name is Li Yanhe, was born in Liaoning Province in 1971. He served as the vice president of Shanghai Literature and Art Publishing House. Later, he married a Taiwanese woman, had a child, and settled in Taiwan. In 2009, he founded Eight Banners Culture Publishing House in Taiwan, serving as the chief editor, and obtained a residence permit of the Republic of China in 2013. In March 2023, he went to the mainland to visit relatives and handle procedures related to cancelling his household registration in mainland China. He later went missing. The Taiwan Affairs Office of the CCP confirmed on April 26, 2023, that Fucha was suspected of engaging in activities endangering national security and was under investigation by the national security agency.