Taipei, April 28 -- A Taiwanese angler from the outlying island of Kinmen held for over a month by China could be freed if he is discharged from the military, a Taiwanese lawmaker said, reported Taiwan News.

Hu, 25, along with another man from Kinmen, set off on a fishing trip on March 17, but as fog closed in, they strayed into Chinese waters and were later detained by China's Coast Guard.

While the other man was allowed to return to Kinmen almost a week later, Hu was forced to stay as China accused him of hiding his identity as an active-duty officer, Taiwan News reported.

Legislator Chen Yu-jen, who represented Kinmen at the Legislative Yuan, said that a procedure had started for Hu to leave the military.

Chen, who was speaking in ...