There were 89 Taiwanese missing or detained in China as of last month, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said today, as it reiterated the risks of traveling to the country.
From Jan. 1 last year to the end of last month, there were 102 total reported cases in which Taiwanese were interrogated or detained when traveling to China, MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said at a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Internal Administration Committee.
Last year, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) increased the risk level for Taiwanese traveling to China by issuing a 22-point set of “guidelines” to penalize “Taiwanese independence separatists,” Chiu said.
Photo: Reuters
Since Jan. 1 last year, of the 102 petitions received regarding Taiwanese who traveled to China and experienced interrogation, detention or unlawful detainment, 89 went missing and had their personal freedoms restricted, while 13 were interrogated and temporarily detained, Chiu said.
The government would continue to publish information and reminders on the risks of traveling to China through its Web site, social media and news conferences, Chiu added.
Although people are free to travel, members of the public are also encouraged to register on the council’s online platform for travelers to China, Hong Kong and Macau so that the government can provide immediate assistance if something happens, Chiu said.
A total of 86,387 people registered on the platform between January 2023 and the end of last month, he said.
The government would also continue to promote courses on China to ensure that students have an in-depth understanding of cross-strait relations, Chiu said.
The CCP has chosen to focus on young people as the focus of its work in Taiwan, Chiu said.
The council also reminds students of the risks associated with studying in China, he added.
Costa Rica sent a group of intelligence officials to Taiwan for a short-term training program, the first time the Central American country has done so since the countries ended official diplomatic relations in 2007, a Costa Rican media outlet reported last week. Five officials from the Costa Rican Directorate of Intelligence and Security last month spent 23 days in Taipei undergoing a series of training sessions focused on national security, La Nacion reported on Friday, quoting unnamed sources. The Costa Rican government has not confirmed the report. The Chinese embassy in Costa Rica protested the news, saying in a statement issued the same
Taiwan is to extend its visa-waiver program for Philippine passport holders for another year, starting on Aug. 1, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said on Friday. Lin made the announcement during a reception in Taipei marking the 127th anniversary of Philippine independence and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) in Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The decision reflected Taiwan’s commitment to deepening exchanges with the Philippines, the statement cited Lin as saying, adding that it was a key partner under the New Southbound Policy launched in 2016. Lin also expressed hope
Temperatures in New Taipei City’s Sindian District (新店) climbed past 37°C yesterday, as the Central Weather Administration (CWA) issued heat alerts for 16 municipalities, warning the public of intense heat expected across Taiwan. The hottest location in Taiwan was in Sindian, where the mercury reached 37.5°C at about 2pm, according to CWA data. Taipei’s Shilin District (士林) recorded a temperature of 37.4°C at noon, Taitung County’s Jinfeng Township (金峰) at 12:50 pm logged a temperature of 37.4°C and Miaoli County’s Toufen Township (頭份) reached 36.7°C at 11:40am, the CWA said. The weather agency yesterday issued a yellow level information notice for Taipei, New
CASE: Prosecutors have requested heavy sentences, citing a lack of remorse and the defendants’ role in ‘undermining the country’s democratic foundations’ Five people affiliated with the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), including senior staff from the party’s Taipei branch, were indicted yesterday for allegedly forging thousands of signatures to recall two Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers. Those indicted include KMT Taipei chapter director Huang Lu Chin-ru (黃呂錦茹), secretary-general Chu Wen-ching (初文卿) and secretary Yao Fu-wen (姚富文), the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said in a news release. Prosecutors said the three were responsible for fabricating 5,211 signature forms — 2,537 related to the recall of DPP Legislator Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶) and 2,674 for DPP Legislator Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) — with forged entries accounting for
RSS