Failed Boat Trip Shows Fear of China's Reach Into Thailand
Junta criticized for deportations of Uighurs, asylum seekers
China flexing political muscle overseas via economic clout
Chris Blake and Ting Shi
Updated on
Song Zhiyu hid for 10 hours in the luggage compartment of a bus on the final leg of his escape from China to Thailand, a country where he planned to seek asylum.
Almost two years later, with his application still pending and fearing a greater reach by Chinese authorities, he boarded a small boat at the resort town of Pattaya and set off with eight other Chinese in the hope of reaching New Zealand, more than 5,500 miles (8,850 kilometers) away.
