TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – A Taiwanese angler from the outlying island of Kinmen held for more than a month by China could be freed if he is discharged from the military, a lawmaker said Saturday (April 27).

The officer named Hu (胡), 25, set off on a fishing trip with another man from Kinmen on March 17, but as fog closed in, they strayed into Chinese waters and were 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.

Legislator Chen Yu-jen (陳玉珍), who represented Kinmen at the Legislative Yuan, told reporters Saturday that a procedure had started for Hu to leave the military, per CNA. Chen was speaking in Beijing, where she was visiting as part of a 17-member delegation of opposition Kuomintang (KMT) lawmakers.

As Hu would soon no longer be a member of the Armed Forces, his status would change, defusing the situation, she said. According to Chen, she would speak to Chinese officials about Hu’s fate during her stay in Beijing, and communicate with his relatives after her return to Taiwan.

For the past 40 days or so, Hu had been held on board of a Chinese coast guard ship, but he had been able to contact his family, the lawmaker said. The Army said that officially, Hu was now on annual leave, CNA reported.