China holds sociologist for leaking state secrets

BEIJING - A sociologist at China's top government think-tank and a colleague have been detained on suspicion of leaking state secrets, three independent sources said on Thursday amid a series of recent high-profile detentions.

Lu Jianhua, 45, a sociologist at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (Cass), was taken into custody by agents of the state security apparatus in April, said the sources who asked not to be identified.

Chen Hui, assistant to the director of the Cass General Office who had access to classified documents, was detained around May, the sources said.

It was not immediately clear if the two cases are linked or if their detentions had anything to do with Ching Cheong, Hong Kong-based reporter for Singapore's Straits Times newspaper, who has been in custody in China since April accused of spying.

Nor was it clear what the secrets were or to whom they may have been leaked.

"It's in the investigation stage," one source said.

"Chen Hui had access to classified documents and may have leaked state secrets. They have been watching him for a long time," a second source said.

Contacted by telephone, Lu's wife, Qu Liqiu, a journalist, said he was "away on a business trip". But a source close to the family said he was under investigation.

Asked to comment, a Cass spokesperson said: "I don't know if Chen Hui has been detained but I haven't seen him for a long time."

Zhao Yan, a Chinese researcher for the New York Times, was taken into custody in September 2004 suspected of passing state secrets and formally arrested the next month. Beijing has since added an accusation of fraud against him.

- REUTERS