There are 77 incidents of Taiwanese travelers going missing in China between January last year and last month, the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) said.
More than 40 remain unreachable, SEF Secretary-General Luo Wen-jia (羅文嘉) said on Friday.
Most of the reachable people in the more than 30 other incidents were allegedly involved in fraud, while some had disappeared for personal reasons, Luo said.
Photo courtesy of the Straits Exchange Foundation
One of these people is Kuo Yu-hsuan (郭宇軒), a 22-year-old Taiwanese man from Kaohsiung who went missing while visiting China in August. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office last month said in a news statement that he was under investigation for his alleged involvement in a fraud case.
On the risks for young people traveling to China job opportunities, Lu said: “Youth unemployment [in China] has risen so high that no more high-paying jobs would be left for Taiwanese — people should have common sense,” Luo said.
Taiwanese should be wary if someone such as a friend, acquaintance or stranger touts job opportunities in China that are “highly profitable,” Luo said, adding that those who are tricked into visiting China would likely be forced to do something illegal.
Once they are arrested and prosecuted for crimes such as fraud, they could be put in jail without receiving a fair trial, as China is not a country with the rule of law, he said.
Separately, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lin I-chin (林宜瑾) on Friday questioned the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on its countermeasures against China’s new policy to “attract first-time visitors from Taiwan.”
Although the MAC issued an “orange” travel warning against China on June 27, the Chinese government has launched a campaign offering first-time holders of “Taiwan Compatriot Permit” free access to more than 1,000 tourist spots in China, she said, asking how the MAC would address the situation.
MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said Taiwanese should be aware of the risks to their safety when traveling to China, and avoid visiting China, Hong Kong and Macau if it is not necessary.
The travel alert for China, Hong Kong and Macau was upgraded to “orange” in response to Beijing’s announcement of 22 guidelines in June to punish “Taiwanese independence separatists,” which pose a real risk to the personal freedom and safety of Taiwanese, he said.
The 22 guidelines feature vague legal definitions and “uncivilized” rules including long-arm jurisdiction, a lifelong retroactive period, trial in absentia, death penalty and confiscation of property, Chiu added.
Additional reporting by CNA
ENDORSING TAIWAN: Honduran presidential candidate Nasry Afura said that Honduras was ‘100 times better off’ when it was allied with Taipei The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it would explore the possibility of restoring diplomatic relations with Honduras based on the principle of maintaining national interests and dignity. The ministry made the remarks in response to reporters’ questions regarding an article titled: “Will Taiwan Regain a Diplomatic Ally?” published in The Diplomat on Saturday. The article said Honduras’ presidential election in November could offer Taiwan the chance to regain an ally, as multiple candidates have promoted re-establishing diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Honduras severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in March 2023 in favor of Beijing, but since switching its diplomatic recognition,
A fourth public debate was held today about restarting the recently decommissioned Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant, ahead of a referendum on the controversial issue to be held in less than two weeks. A referendum on Aug. 23 is to ask voters if they agree that “the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant should continue operations upon approval by the competent authority and confirmation that there are no safety concerns.” Anyone over 18 years of age can vote in the referendum. The vote comes just three months after its final reactor shut down, officially making Taiwan nuclear-free. Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) represented
Scoot announced yesterday that starting in October, it would increase flights between Taipei and Japan’s Narita airport and Hokkaido, and between Singapore and Taipei. The low-cost airline, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, also said it would launch flights to Chiang Rai in Thailand, Okinawa and Tokyo’s Haneda airport between December and March next year. Flights between Singapore and Chiang Rai would begin on Jan. 1, with five flights per week operated by an Embraer E190-E2 aircraft, Scoot said. Flights between Singapore and Okinawa would begin on Dec. 15, with three flights per week operated by Airbus A320 aircraft, the airline said. Services between Singapore
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday announced a ban on all current and former government officials from traveling to China to attend a military parade on Sept. 3, which Beijing is to hold to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second Sino-Japanese War. "This year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and the Republic of China’s victory in the War of Resistance [Against Japan]," MAC Deputy Minister and spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) told a regular news briefing in Taipei. To prevent Beijing from using the Sept. 3 military parade and related events for "united
RSS