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Beijing (AFP) May 20, 2011 Police in Beijing on Friday alleged a firm controlled by Ai Weiwei had evaded "a huge amount" of tax, state media said, as authorities appeared to ramp up their case against the detained artist. Police authorities in the capital, citing an initial probe, also alleged the company -- Beijing Fake Cultural Development Ltd -- had "intentionally destroyed accounting documents", the official Xinhua news agency reported. Ai, one of China's most prominent artists and a vocal critic of the ruling Communist Party, was detained by police on April 3 amid the government's biggest crackdown on dissidents and activists in years. The 54-year-old's detention has been loudly condemned internationally, with the United States and European Union calling for his release. Up until now, the Chinese government had only said that Ai was under investigation for economic crimes, but police have so far failed to issue a formal arrest warrant. Police authorities told Xinhua that Ai was currently being kept under "residential surveillance" and that his "right to meet with people who live with him was ensured in accordance with the law." Ai was able to meet his wife Lu Qing last Sunday and appeared to be in good health, his sister told AFP earlier this week, in what is believed to be his first known face-to-face contact with his family since his detention. Liu Xiaoyuan, a rights lawyer and close friend of Ai, told AFP on Friday he could not comment on the police allegations. But he said the fact that Ai was being kept under "residential surveillance" away from his home did "not meet legal requirements." Human rights groups have criticised "residential surveillance" -- in which authorities detain people for extended periods without charge -- as a violation of Chinese law. Lu, meanwhile, was not immediately available for comment. Chinese authorities, apparently spooked by the wave of pro-democracy uprisings sweeping the Middle East, have detained dozens of lawyers, artists and other perceived critics in recent weeks. Many of the detainees have reportedly been beaten while in custody. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton last week denounced China's clampdown on dissent as a "fool's errand," saying Beijing was trying to stop the course of history. The remarks, made in an interview with The Atlantic magazine, were some of the strongest by a senior US official on China's crackdown. A Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman later denounced the comment as "inappropriate".
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In China, some new cities are ghost townsKangbashi, China (AFP) May 19, 2011 In China's Inner Mongolia, Kangbashi district offers residents "new modern" living, with tree-lined streets, shiny apartment buildings, vast parklands, restaurants and even a motor racing track. But seven years after construction workers broke ground on the arid plateau, most of the apartments appear empty and the wide streets are almost deserted - earning Kangbashi the tag of "ghost city". ... read more |
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