Apple Daily is reporting that Jia Jia missed a 10 a.m. forum on Thursday in which he was to deliver a speech.
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Multiple reports from activist groups and Hong Kong media suggested there was a connection between Jia’s apparent detention and an explosive letter calling for the resignation of the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, which was published early this month on Wujie News, a website with ties to the Chinese government.
It was unclear whether or not Jia has been taken into custody.
Hong Kong-based tabloid newspaper Apple Daily quoted Jia’s wife as saying that she last spoke to him at 20:00 local time on Tuesday, and he told her he was about to board the plane to Hong Kong.
He was due to fly from Beijing to Hong Kong on Tuesday when he became uncontactable.
Family members and friends have not been able to reach him since, said Yan, who is based in Beijing.
Mr Ouyang was subsequently contacted by the authorities and said that he had heard about it from Mr Jia, China Change reported.
The letter, entitled “Open letter about requesting comrade Xi Jinping resign from party and state leadership roles” and undersigned by “Loyal Communist Party members”, criticizes Xi’s centralization of power and battle against corruption, questioning his ability to lead the party and the country and asking him to quit “for the party’s prosperity, for the country’s long-term ruling and stability and for the safety of you and your family”. Before it appeared on Wujie, the letter was first published on the overseas Chinese-language website Canyu, which features news and commentary on human rights issues in China.
Lee, who was last seen at the bookstore’s warehouse on December 30, had indicated by letters, video clips and media interviews that he “voluntarily” returned to China to assist in the investigation of Gui Minhai, owner of publishing house Mighty Current that owns the bookstore, over alleged illegal activities.
Jia Jia is a well-known journalist, media personality and social commentator.
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Politically, the letter said, Xi has weakened the independence of China’s political organs and caused confusion within all levels of Communist Party government officials in terms of responsibilities and decision making. “If he is in police custody, officials must disclose where they are holding him and why”. Several booksellers in Hong Kong disappeared in recent months after publishing salacious material about Xi and other Chinese leaders. “If anyone else knows where he is, they should step forward and clarify this worrisome mystery”. It was on the opening day of the “Two Sessions” – the annual assemblies of the National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference – in Beijing.
