China has accused a Hong Kong-based reporter for Singapore's The Straits Timesnewspaper of spying for foreign agencies.
Ching Cheong (55), a Hong Kong citizen and permanent resident of Singapore, was detained by Chinese agents in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou on April 22nd.
"Ching admitted that in recent years he engaged in intelligence gathering activities on the mainland on instructions from foreign intelligence agencies and accepted huge amounts of spying fees," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.
"Currently, relevant departments are investigating his spying activities," the statement said without elaborating on which country or countries were alleged to be his paymaster.
Straits Timespublisher Singapore Press Holdings said Mr Ching was assisting authorities in Beijing with an investigation into a matter not related to the newspaper that is indirectly linked to the Singapore government.
If charged and convicted, Mr Ching could face the death penalty. He is the second employee of a foreign news organisation taken into custody by President Hu Jintao's government in a year.
New York Timesresearcher Zhao Yan was arrested last October for revealing state secrets - believed to be news that-then military chief Jiang Zemin was retiring from politics. Mr Zhao has yet to go on trial.