The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) said yesterday that about 26,000 Chinese violated laws in Taiwan between 2003 and last year.
Those convicted mainly violated the National Security Law (國家安全法), the Statute Governing the Relations Between the Peoples of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (兩岸人民關係條例) and committed forgery and theft, the MOJ said.
While 134,000 Chinese entered Taiwan in 2003, the number increased to 320,000 last year, the ministry said, adding that of the 26,000 criminals, most were illegal immigrants who were worked illegally, some as prostitutes, and that they were repatriated to China after being arrested.
The ministry said there were currently 56 Chinese serving their jail terms in Taiwan, with 38 percent of them serving sentences between five and 10 years, which indicated those Chinese had committed more serious crimes.
The government this month opened the country to more Chinese tourists, currently allowing 1,000 Chinese tourists to visit per day.
Authorities have reported several Chinese tourists missing in the country.
The MOJ said it would work harder to prevent Chinese tourists from breaking the law.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators had expressed concern that the tourism policy could result in violent criminals from China making their way to Taiwan.
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