Wife of detained Taiwanese activist heads to China

Lee Ching-yu, wife of NGO worker Lee Ming-cheh who has been held incommunicado in China for more than 170 days, left for Shanghai around noon to connect to a flight to the central province of Hunan where her husband's trial will be held.

The activist's mother also left around noon on a direct flight to Hunan. Both were accompanied by several officials from Taiwan's semi-official Straits Exchange Foundation, which handles relations with the mainland.

Lee's trial is set to start Monday at the intermediate people's court in Hunan's Yueyang city, according to his wife.

He went missing during a visit to the mainland in March and Chinese authorities later confirmed he was being investigated for suspected activities "endangering national security".

Lee Ching-yu made no comment at the airport but has pleaded for Taiwanese people to understand if her husband is "forced to confess" in court.

"I go to (China) not to provoke or argue. I hope to see the arrival of justice and let Lee Ming-cheh return to Taiwan safe and soon," she told reporters on Saturday.

She attempted to fly to Beijing in April to "rescue" her husband but Chinese authorities at that time revoked her travel permit.

Beijing has repeatedly ignored Taipei's requests for information on Lee's whereabouts and details of the allegations against him.

Relations between the two sides have worsened since Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen took office in May last year. Since then Beijing has cut off all official communications with Taipei.

China sees self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory waiting to be reunified. It wants Tsai to acknowledge the island is part of "One China", which she has refused to do.

Lee has long supported civil society organisations and activists in China, according to Amnesty International.

He had shared "Taiwan's democratic experiences" with his Chinese friends online for many years and often mailed books to them, said the Taiwan Association for Human Rights.