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Kidnapped British journalist's link to China's founding father

To viewers around the world, John Cantlie has become the unwilling voice of Islamic State, voicing the militant group's propaganda in a series of video released to the media.

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James Cantlie (left) is the great-grandfather of John Cantlie (right), who is being held by Islamic State. Photos: Wellcome Library, AP

To viewers around the world, John Cantlie has become the unwilling voice of Islamic State, voicing the militant group's propaganda in a series of video released to the media.

The kidnapped British journalist was most recently seen in a video, purportedly filmed in the embattled Syrian town of Kobani, asserting that Islamic State fighters were defying US-led air strikes to close in on the town.

But what most television viewers - and probably the Islamist kidnappers - won't realise is that Cantlie's family has a long association with revolution. Indeed, his great-grandfather saved the life of Sun Yat-sen, the founder of modern China.

Sir James Cantlie was a doctor in Hong Kong who, in 1887, co-founded the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese, later the University of Hong Kong.

The authorities learned of the coup plot, a shipment of arms from Hong Kong never arrived, and most of the conspirators were arrested and executed. Sun, disguised as a woman, made it back to Hong Kong via Macau and went straight to Cantlie's home.

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