Wang, a Chinese citizen, was accused of being engaged in espionage in China and had been tracked down by the state security department, said the spokesman.

Wang was also wanted by the police in south China's Guangdong Province since May, 1999, for alleged involvement in violent terrorist activities.

Wang and two others were found tied up in Bohu Temple in the suburbs of Fangchenggang city, in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, by local police on the night of July 3.

The three said that they were kidnapped on June 27 in Tinh Quang Ninh, Vietnam, and were blackmailed for US$10 million.

Before they were rescued by the Guangxi police, they had been blindfolded and transported from one place to another for being unable to pay the ransom, they claimed.

The kidnapping case was still under investigation, said the spokesman.

Guangxi police identified them as Wang Bingzhang, Yue Wu, and Zhang Qi (female).

The state security department had verified that Wang, starting in the early 1980s, had struck up contact with Taiwan's espionage organization, which paid him as he collected and stole state secrets for it.

The police had confirmed that Wang had many of his articles advocating violence and terrorism published or picked up by the Internet, in which he claimed he had plotted, organized and committed violent terrorist activities.

Under Articles 6 and 7 of the Criminal Law, China had judicial jurisdiction over Wang who was accused of committing crimes that endangered state and public security, said the spokesman.

Wang was transferred to the police in Guangdong and had been at home under surveillance in accordance with Articles 51 and 57 of China's Criminal Procedure Law.

Wang was arrested by the police in Guangdong on December 5 with the approval of the prosecution service.

The case was under further investigation, said the spokesman.

The spokesman said that in accordance with the relevant Chinese laws, Wang's family members were yet to be allowed to visit him, because Wang was suspected of committing crimes related to state secrets.

The spokesman also said that Yue Wu and Zhang Qi no longer lived at home under surveillance after the police investigation cleared them of involvement in Wang's alleged crimes.

(Xinhua News Agency December 20, 2002)