Taiwan detains Chinese asylum seeker, deciding whether to deport

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan said on Tuesday it had apprehended a Chinese activist who had slipped away from his tour group last week, and authorities were deciding whether to deport him or risk fraying relations with Beijing by granting him sanctuary as a political refugee.

Officials declined to say whether 48-year-old Zhang Xiangzhong had formally requested asylum, but his case comes at an awkward time as ties with China have been strained since President Tsai Ing-wen took office in Taiwan last year.