China confirmed today it had detained a Korean-American missionary on charges of raping children and helping North Korean asylum seekers sneak into China.
A Foreign Ministry spokesman told reporters Mr Joseph Choi was detained on May 12th in China's northeastern province of Jilin, that China notified the US consulate of Mr Choi's detention on May 15th and that a US consul had visited Mr Choi two days later, giving no further details of the charges against him.
A US embassy spokesman declined to comment, but said consular officials had been in contact with an American citizen.
A South Korean missionary colleague said last month Mr Choi was not involved in refugee smuggling. The colleague at the time accused the Chinese government of trumping up charges in an effort to show that they were cracking down on people helping North Koreans get into China.
China has allowed 38 North Koreans who defected at foreign diplomatic missions to travel to South Korea via third countries.
Twenty more North Koreans have sneaked into the South Korean and Canadian embassies over the past three weeks.
Human rights activists and diplomats have warned of further and more daring asylum bids, including during the World Cup, being hosted this month by South Korea and Japan.
But they say China has begun to crack down on non-governmental organisations aiding the tens of thousands of North Koreans hiding out in northeastern China.