Democratic Progressive Party chairwoman and presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen. Photo: Reuters
Taiwan's presidential frontrunner Tsai Ing-wen has urged authorities in Hong Kong and Beijing to explain the disappearance of five Hong Kong booksellers feared detained by mainland authorities.
The missing men all worked for the same Hong Kong-based publishing house known for books critical of the central government.
Tsai's comments come the week before an election in which she is tipped to unseat the Beijing-friendly ruling Kuomintang (KMT) party, raising questions over cross-strait relations.
"(I) hope that Hong Kong and Beijing authorities... will give a clear explanation," Tsai said at a campaign event in Taipei. "At the same time, (they) should implement concrete measures to ensure freedom of speech in Hong Kong," she said.
The KMT's presidential candidate Eric Chu has also voiced concern about the disappearances.
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1234040-20160106.htm
