Separately, 'Southern Daily' confirmed that a Taiwanese man, Lee Meng-Chu, was also arrested by police in Shenzhen city on October 31, for allegedly stealing state secrets for foreign forces after he made a trip to Hong Kong in August to support "anti-China" activities. Lee, an adviser from a small township in Taiwan, had been missing since Aug 19 after traveling to Shenzhen.

He was being investigated for "engaging in criminal acts that endanger state security", a spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of China's State Council said in September.