China Detains Voice of America Mandarin Correspondent

Voice of America's Mandarin Service correspondent and a multimedia journalist working for VOA were detained by Chinese police while attempting to interview a retired Chinese professor who was taken away by authorities during a live television interview with VOA nearly two weeks ago. Correspondent Yibing Feng and VOA contractor Allen Ai were taken into custody in Jinan, Shandong province after talking to professor Sun Wenguang, 84, through a closed door of his apartment. Sun told Feng details of his detention and thanked VOA for allowing him to express his freedom of speech on the air. Authorities in the apartment hallway attempted several times to disrupt the interview and ordered Feng and his Chinese assistant to leave the building. The two reporters were then held by police at the building exit. They are still believed to be in police custody. “It is outrageous that two journalists have been detained for nothing more than doing their jobs,” said VOA Director Amanda Bennett. She called for them to be released immediately.