Xin Hong, aged 67, was arrested in mid-September 1994 in Tianjin city and accused of “leaking state secrets”, apparently in connection with her son’s activities abroad. She was recently treated in hospital for a stomach ailment, and it is feared that her health might deteriorate in prison. She is being held incommunicado. Xin Hong is the mother of Gao Peiqi, a former police officer in Shenzhen, who fled China after being detained for six months in 1990 in connection with the crackdown on the 1989 pro-democracy demonstrations. He fled to Hong Kong in 1991 and has since made public statements about corruption and other malpractices within the Chinese police and judiciary.
