Story highlights Taiwanese fraud suspects appear in Chinese media

They were sent to China from Kenya despite protests by Taiwanese officials

(CNN) There's a new twist in the dust-up involving Taiwan, China and Kenya over deportations of fraud suspects to the mainland.

Two of the Taiwanese citizens have now appeared in interviews with Chinese state-run media, offering apologies for their acts and pleading for Chinese authorities to go easy on them.

"I knew from the start it is wrong to trick people in the Mainland," Chinese state-run news service Xinhua quoted one of the men, identified only by his surname of Chien, as saying. "It's wicked and there will be retribution. I want to sincerely apologize to the Mainland victims. I am willing to be punished. I wish I could get leniency."

State broadcaster China Central Television showed what it said were written confessions in Chinese.

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