State security authorities in Guangdong province have arrested two men for alleged involvement in Hong Kong riots and endangering national security, Guangzhou Daily reported on Saturday.

Lee Henley Hu Xiang, a Belizean businessman who lives in China, was arrested on Tuesday by the Guangzhou State security bureau for "allegedly funding criminal activities that endanger national security" after approval by the city's procuratorate, the paper reported.

"Lee had long funded hostile forces based in the United States, sponsoring foreign organizations and individuals to damage the country's national security, supporting anti-China activities in Hong Kong and cooperating with external forces to intervene in Hong Kong affairs," the paper said.

Separately, the paper confirmed that Lee Meng-chu, an adviser for a township in Taiwan, was arrested on Oct 31 by the Shenzhen State security bureau for allegedly "spying on and illegally providing State secrets for foreign forces", after approval from a local procuratorate.

He is a key member of a "Taiwan independence" organization, who went to Hong Kong to support "anti-China" activities and sought military secrets on the Chinese mainland in August, the newspaper reported.

No other details were disclosed.

Last month, Ma Xiaoguang, spokesman for the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, confirmed that two other Taiwan residents, surnamed Tsai and Shih, had been detained by authorities on the mainland on suspicion of participating in activities that endangered national security.

Their cases are going to trial.

"The relevant departments have handled the cases in strict accordance with the law, notified their families and guaranteed their legal rights in accordance with the law," Ma said.

The mainland had been cracking down on criminal activities endangering national security in accordance with the law, he said.

zhangyi1@chinadaily.com.cn

(HK Edition 12/02/2019 page4)