BEIJING - A Chinese-Australian writerwhose disappearance in China ignited alarm during a crackdown ondissent said on Friday he is safe and plans to return toAustralia in coming days.
The novelist and blogger, Yang Hengjun, an Australiannational born in China, was reported by friends to be missing onSunday, prompting concern from Australia, whose Prime MinisterJulia Gillard is due to visit China this month.
On Wednesday, Yang contacted friends who feared he had beenheld by security police in Guangdong province in far southernChina in a crackdown on dissidents. Yang often visits China andkeeps a Chinese-language blog that airs his liberal views.
