SUPPORTERS of veteran Hong Kong journalist Ching Cheong expressed disappointment and anger at a Chinese court decision to uphold his five-year prison term for spying for Taiwan.

The Beijing High Court rejected the appeal by Ching, the chief China correspondent for Singapore's Straits Times newspaper.

A judge quoted by the official Xinhua news agency said the original verdict handed down in August "was a correct application of the law and provided appropriate punishment".

Speaking at a press conference, Ching's wife voiced her "disappointment and regret", criticising the lack of evidence in the case and the closed-door trial and judicial procedure, which she called "illegal" and unfair.

"We thought China wanted to improve its legal system but obviously there is still a long way to go," Mary Lau told reporters, sitting in front of a yellow banner that read: "A Fair, Just and Open Trial for Ching Cheong."

In a statement released by Ching's lawyer in Beijing, the veteran journalist maintained his innocence and hoped the Chinese government would acquit him.

Lau said Ching had lost 10 pounds (4.5 kilos) since he was arrested in April 2005 and that his health was ailing - he was suffering from irregular heartbeats, insomnia and abdominal pains.

Although the family has requested the Chinese authorities give him a full body check, it has received no response. Lau said his lawyer had applied for medical parole to the Chinese court.

They also plan to make a further appeal to state leaders, urging them to release Ching Cheong, but more concrete plans will be made when his family flies back from Beijing, Lau said.

While feeling "outraged" at the judgement, Serenade Woo, chairman of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, said she was concerned about the safety of the journalists who worked in China.

"We now won't know whether the information we deal with would be classified as state secrets," she said, fearing journalists would exercise self-censorship.

David Hui, spokesman for the Ching Cheong Incident Concern Group, described the verdict as "disappointing" and "unacceptable".

"We all believe that Ching Cheong is innocent. The case should be tried in an open court, which we thought would be a basic and reasonable request.

"But (the court) decided to ignore our request. We doubt the court is taking the case seriously," he said.

The Hong Kong government said it was concerned about the case and would keep in contact with Ching's family and provide any assistance they needed.

But it would not comment on the judicial process or the judgement handed down by the Beijing court under the "one country, two systems" policy that outlines China's relationship with Hong Kong.

Ching, 56, was sentenced on August 31 to five years in jail following a one-day, closed-door trial on espionage charges.

In its original verdict, a lower Beijing court said Ching passed on information, some of it top secret, to two people from a Taiwanese foundation who were in fact deputies of an intelligence agency.

The case has attracted international attention, highlighting fears China is cracking down against foreign and domestic journalists in the run-up to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

In a statement released on Friday, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) said it was "outraged" by the verdict.

"The case of Ching is a litmus test for press freedom in China, which the Chinese authorities have dismally failed," said IFJ President Christopher Warren.

"Natural justice has been denied to Ching today for the sake of sending a clear message to journalists reporting on China: do not cross the state," he said.


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