In a document to a Taiwan-based center catering to people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits, the Beijing-base Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) said Li was detained by the state security department of Shanghai Municipal Government on charges of spying on Dec. 15, 2003.

Investigations showed Li was a spy dispatched by the military intelligence authorities of Taiwan for collecting intelligence on the mainland, and he was arrested officially on Jan. 15, 2004, according to the document.

The association asked the center to inform Li's family of his situation.

During his detention, Li confessed and pleaded guilty to all spying charges, according to the document.

Li allegedly told the security department that he first entered the mainland in 1999, and in 2001 he made acquaintance with Lin Shangcun, a spy of the military intelligence authorities of Taiwan, through another man.

Lin asked Li to gather military intelligence in 2002 and Li agreed and joined the Taiwan intelligence network, and was paid 50,000 new Taiwan dollars a month and was in charge of collecting military intelligence in and around Shanghai, according to the letter.

At the request of Lin, Li entered militarily sensitive mainland are as to collect intelligence, it says.

The document goes on to say that Li is now in custody of the state security department in Shanghai and he is physically in good shape.

Li Weiyi, spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office under the State Council, told a press conference on Wednesday that seven Taiwanese residents detained by China's state security department are spies sent by the military intelligence authorities of Taiwan.

They were Fu Hongzhang, Lin Jieshan, Song Xiaolian, Wang Changyong, Zhang Genghuan, Zhang Yuren and Tong Taiping.

State security departments of the Chinese mainland announced in late December that they have smashed a ring of intelligence agents, arresting 24 spies from Taiwan and 19 mainlanders involved.

(Xinhua News Agency January 16, 2004)