SOPA Calls on China to Provide Details on Bloomberg Staffer Detention

The Society of Publishers in Asia notes with concern reports of the detention of Haze Fan, a member of Bloomberg’s Beijing newsroom. Fan was last seen December 7 as she was escorted from her apartment building, according to a Bloomberg report. Chinese authorities have said that Fan was detained on suspicion of endangering national security and that her legitimate rights are fully ensured. There have been no further details on Fan’s case since Bloomberg first published the news on Dec. 11.

SOPA calls on China to provide more details of Fan’s alleged activities to allay concerns that her detention is connected to her work for Bloomberg. Chinese nationals working for foreign media perform a valuable function in helping the foreign press inform a global audience on developments in China. They need to be able to do their job without fear of government interference.