Chinese Foreign Affairs Minister Yang Jiechi has admitted to his British colleague David Miliband, who is on a visit to Beijing, that a Chinese dissident who disappeared a year ago is in prison.

Until now, China had denied that Gao Zhishenhg had been jailed. The human rights lawyer now appears to have been sentenced to three years for 'subverting state power'. It is unclear whether he is serving a new sentence or one dating back to 2006.

The minister denies that the lawyer, who defended dissidents and religious groups, has been tortured.