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
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