A Chinese dissident who abandoned his tour group while in Taiwan says he will apply for political asylum on Tuesday in hopes of staying on the self-governing island to promote democracy on the mainland.

Zhang Xiangzhong said in an interview on Monday that he hoped Taiwanese officials would take a “tolerant” view toward his appeal but acknowledged there were legal hurdles.

Taiwan does not offer political asylum to Chinese citizens although they sometimes offer permits for long-term residence.

Mr. Zhang’s case could further exacerbate cross-strait tensions weeks after China detained a Taiwanese pro-democracy activist Lee Ming-che during a trip to the mainland.

Mr. Zhang told the AP that he was inspired to defect after hearing about Mr. Lee’s story.

Mr. Zhang was previously jailed for three years for participating in a mainland civil rights movement.