CHINESE DISSIDENT SEEKS ASYLUM IN TAIWAN|中異議人士來台跳機 傳尋求政治庇護

Chinese dissident Zhang Xiangzhong went missing during a trip to Taiwan. It's reported that he left the tour group to seek asylum from the Taiwan government. However, the Mainland Affairs Council said that no government agency has yet received such a request for asylum, The authorities are currently tracking his whereabouts, and will conduct an investigation as soon as he is found. Chinese dissident Zhang Xiangzhong arrived with a tour group in Taiwan for an eight-day tour on the 12th, but went missing on the early morning of the 13th. The travel agency said that he showed no unusual behavior, and likely left his hotel before dawn. ==HSU CHUNG-YUNG VP travel agency== He was sharing a room with the Chinese group leader. The group arrived on the evening of the 12th, and by the early morning of the 13th, he was gone around 3 AM or 4 AM. The travel agency immediately notified the Tourism Bureau, National Immigration Agency, and National Police Agency, but Zhang could not be reached and remains missing. The Mainland Affairs Council issued a statement saying that the relevant agencies will continue searching for Zhang to understand his intentions. The National Immigration Agency is the authority responsible for any asylum request from Chinese nationals, and such requests will be investigated in accordance with procedure. ==CHIU CHUI-CHENG Dep. Minister, Mainland Affairs Council== Our government agencies will act in compliance with existing procedures. After Mr. Zhang is found, we will conduct the necessary investigations, to understand his intent and situation, before taking further steps. Zhang is still in contact with activist groups and has been interviewed on Radio Free Asia, where he expressed admiration for Lee Ching-yu's defense of her husband and Taiwan's national dignity, and said that he wanted to seek political asylum in Taiwan. The Mainland Affairs Council said that Zhang will be treated the same way as other Chinese nationals who had left their tour groups, and an investigation must first be conducted once he is found. TRANSLATED BY：JOHN CHEN 中國大陸異議人士張向忠，12號抵台參加8天7夜的環島旅行團，卻在隔天凌晨消失脫團，旅行社立刻通報觀光局和移民署等相關單位，全力協尋，陸委會表示，目前沒有任何單位接獲張向忠申請庇護之案件，一旦找到人，會依程序調查。 大陸異議人士張向忠，來台參加八天七夜環島旅行團，原定12號抵台19號離台，沒想到13號凌晨他就失聯，接待旅行社表示，事前完全沒異狀，張向忠應該是清晨時就從飯店離開了。 ==旅行社副總 徐中庸== 就是他跟大陸的領隊睡 那睡到半夜 4月12號晚上接團 4月13號凌晨早上 三點多 四點就不見就跑出去了 旅行社在第一時間就通報觀光局，移民署和警政署，但張向忠手機關機，無法取得聯繫，目前都還沒找到人，陸委會則發表聲明，相關機關將持續連繫張向忠，瞭解意向。中國大陸人士如有申請庇護，主管機關移民署將依相關規定程序進行調查處理。 ==陸委會副主委 邱垂正== 政府機關一定會依照 既有的作業程序 在找到張先生之後 先進行必要的調查 了解他的意向跟全案之後 才會做後續的處理 由於張向忠仍私下與社運團體聯絡，也接受自由亞洲電視台專訪，聲稱他相當敬佩李凈瑜捍衛丈夫和國家尊嚴的作為，因此希望在來台後，向台灣政府尋求政治庇護，留在台灣。對此陸委會表示，會依過去處理中國大陸人士脫團的模式辦理，一旦找到人，會先進行調查了解意向再做處理。 記者綜合報導