Haze Fan, A Beijing resident and news assistant for Bloomberg News, was detained by Chinese communist authorities on for allegedly endangering Chinese national security.
She was last seen at 11:00 on Dec. 7 as officials escorted her away from her apartment complex. This was shortly after Fan ended a call with an editor from Bloomberg, according to the South Morning China Post.
Bloomberg’s editor in Chief, John Micklethwait, says the publication has deep concern for her wellbeing and trying to gather more information on her arrest.
"We have been doing our best to try and find out exactly where she is, what's happened and to try and get her back," Micklethwait said.
Bloomberg Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait speaks about the detention of Haze Fan, who works for the Bloomberg News bureau in Beijing, on suspicion of endangering national security https://t.co/8R7zPuuqQh pic.twitter.com/fYPJDbsp9F
— Bloomberg Quicktake (@Quicktake) December 11, 2020
Han's family has been informed.
Authorities in Beijing confirmed that Fan had been detained on suspicion of criminal activity, according to the New York Post, stating however, that her rights would be protected. The details surrounding the investigation or the charges brought against Fan have not been disclosed.
"Chinese citizen Ms. Fan has been detained by the Beijing National Security Bureau according to relevant Chinese law on suspicion of engaging in criminal activities that jeopardize national security," authorities said.
"The case is currently under investigation. Ms. Fan’s legitimate rights have been fully ensured and her family has been notified."
Despite the reassurance, Journalists like Tom Mackenzie, a former coworker of Fan's, find her detainment alarming. Mackenzie described Fan as, "one of the most committed journalists out there."
Deeply disturbing. I worked alongside Haze for almost 2 years when she was our China TV Producer. It’s no exaggeration to say she is one of the best, most driven and committed journalists out here https://t.co/57YmaCZ0p0
— Tom Mackenzie (@TomMackenzieTV) December 11, 2020
As tensions between the United States and China have worsened, China has lashed out against international reporters. Officials also detained Cheng Lei, an Australian anchor and reporter who worked for a state-run broadcaster, for also allegedly undermining national security.
Journalists from the Washington Post, The New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal have all found their credentials revoked, preventing them from continuing to cover Chinese news, according to the Washington Post.
Other reports have preemptively fled the country, recognizing that Beijing intends to use a heavy hand against journalists that threaten its narrative of sovereignty.
Jimmy Lai, publisher of Hong Kong's pro-democracy Apple Daily has also been detained and charged this week.
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