Dissident detained in South Korea after fleeing China in rubber boat

The detention of a Chinese dissident after a perilous sea crossing underscores the risks activists take to seek asylum. Dong Guangping, 68, was intercepted by South Korea’s coastguard on Monday evening after a 3.3-meter rubber boat with a 10-horsepower motor was spotted about 38 nautical miles off Taean. He is in custody and being questioned on immigration-law violations, according to authorities. Dong travelled more than 30 hours by sea from Weifang in Shandong Province, with the distance between the city and Taean exceeding 300 kilometers. Canadian-based dissident Zang Xihong, who uses the pen name Sheng Xue, said she has spoken with Dong since his 2015 attempt to flee China.