Hong Kong bookseller denies he was kidnapped by China

A Hong Kong bookseller and British passport holder who disappeared last year said he had not been kidnapped by Chinese authorities, as many suspect, but had sneaked into China illegally and that he would renounce his British citizenship. Lee Bo, a dual British and Hong Kong citizen, and four associates went missing over the past half year, sparking fears that Chinese authorities had abducted some of the men and taken them back to China.

I have always felt that I’m a Hong Kong citizen, a Chinese citizen, and because people have used my British nationality to sensationalize and make the situation more complicated, that’s why I’m deciding to give up my British nationality.

Lee Bo in a television interview

In a 20-minute interview with China’s Phoenix Television late on Monday, Lee gave the first detailed account of his disappearance from Hong Kong in December, saying he had returned to China voluntarily. Lee didn’t give details on how he’d crossed the border into China, or who helped him or when he might return. Some politicians were sceptical and said Lee may have been pressured to try to erase perceptions of Chinese authorities carrying out illegal cross-border enforcement operations.

Why have I acted so mysteriously? It’s because I’ve had to assist with a mainland Chinese investigation and it required testifying against some people.

Lee Bo

Hong Kong bookseller