Ai Weiwei 'was offered advisory role before his detention'

Artist was visited by officials at his studio who invited him to join Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, says aide
Ai weiwei
Ai Weiwei has not been seen since he was stopped at Beijing airport on 3 April Photograph: Peter Parks/AFP/Getty Images

Artist Ai Weiwei was invited by Chinese officials to join a political advisory body days before his detention, according to his staff.

Authorities say the 53-year-old is under investigation for suspected economic crimes, but his family believes he has been targeted because of his activism. Police have not notified his family of his detention and he has not been seen since he was stopped at Beijing airport on 3 April.

The South China Morning Post said Ai had told his aides that he had twice been invited to join the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), an advisory body made up of non-Communist party members, including high-profile figures such as artists and athletes. It was not clear whether they were referring to the national body or one of its subordinate bodies, or how Ai had responded, it added.

An assistant to the artist confirmed to the Guardian that domestic security police had visited the studio at the end of March. Ai subsequently said the officers were very polite and had asked him to join the CPPCC.

The assistant said that the artist was not joking, adding: "I remember when I heard this I was somehow relieved, because I thought that if they were being polite to him and asking him to join the CPPCC, they wouldn't arrest him or do anything bad to him. It seems that I was wrong."

Ai's friend Wen Tao, 38, his cousin and driver Zhang Jinsong, also known as Xiao Pang, and accountant Ms Hu are still missing. Staff and volunteers at the studio have been questioned.

A report posted on a website set up by Ai's supporters described how even the studio doorman was forced to return to Beijing for questioning by police who stopped him during a visit to his home province.

According to the document, said to be a first-hand account by Xiao Wei, officers questioned him for several hours about Ai's company Fake and what "jasmine" was. He told them he did not know anything about such issues because his duties were to keep the door and buy food. He was allowed to go two days after he was first stopped.

Ai's detention comes amid a broader crackdown on human rights activists which seems to have been sparked by anonymous online calls for "jasmine revulution" protests, posted on an overseas website.