The Chinese authorities should urgently quash the conviction and free the Taiwan publisher Li Yanhe (李延賀), known by his pen name Fu Cha (富察), Human Rights Watch said today. Fu Cha, who has been detained in China since 2023, was secretly sentenced in February 2025 to three years in prison on charges of “inciting secession.” The government has provided little information about his trial or his condition in detention.

Fu Cha, 54, is editor-in-chief of the Taiwanese firm Gūsa Publishing, which has published translated works on global affairs, politics, and history, including some critical of the Chinese government.

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“The Chinese authorities have imprisoned Fu Cha for daring to publish books on China that they don’t like,” said Maya Wang, associate China director at Human Rights Watch. “The groundless case against Fu Cha is an apparent attempt to muffle freedom of expression outside its borders and intimidate Taiwan’s vibrant publishing industry.”

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