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Veteran China watcher Ching Cheong, 58, was given a rousing welcome by his colleagues at The Straits Times yesterday, in his first visit to the newsroom since his release from prison in China on Feb 5.
China-born Mr Ching, who was accused of spying for Taiwan, told colleagues that his more than 1,000 days behind bars were made bearable with the support he received from Singapore Press Holdings.
He did not have to worry about his family's finances as SPH continued to pay his salary throughout his imprisonment. It also provided him with legal aid.
'That lawyer was my only link to the outside world, to my family,' said an emotional Mr Ching, who had his wife Mary beside him.
ST editor Han Fook Kwang described Mr Ching, who joined the paper 12 years ago, as the newspaper's best-known reporter as a result of his incarceration, which drew global support from other journalists.
Mr Ching received a portrait of himself - drawn by ST artist Ludwig Ilio - from Mr Han.
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