Between January and last month, there were 94 “personal safety” cases involving Taiwanese businesspeople in China, Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) data showed today.
The foundation intervenes in cases of funeral arrangements and death compensation, restrictions on personal freedoms due to legal matters, medical evacuations, lost or expired documents, and more.
The figure is a slight decrease compared to the same period last year, the SEF said.
Photo courtesy of the Straits Exchange Foundation
Separately, four Taiwanese members of the I-Kuan Tao (一貫道) religious group, all more than 70 years old, remain detained by Chinese authorities and are likely to face prosecution.
The SEF is a semi-official agency set up by the Taiwanese government to handle civil and business affairs with China, but it does not have its own offices there.
In the event of an emergency, the foundation relies on local Taiwanese business associations to gather information and provide immediate assistance to affected individuals and families, it said.
It also contacts its Chinese counterpart, the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits, to help coordinate with relevant Chinese authorities when necessary.
As many of these cases involve business secrets or personal information, the SEF usually cannot publicly disclose details, it said.
Furthermore, although individual cases may change over time — such as a person marked as “missing” later confirmed to have been arrested — the SEF’s statistics are not updated to reflect that and instead keep the initial categorization, it said.
“Missing” cases vary in nature and causes, it added.
Some cases are temporary losses of contact with family for some reason, while others are individuals who have been detained, but their families have not been contacted, it said.
After an individual’s family learns of a detention, arrest, trial or house arrest, that then changes the case, the SEF said.
After accepting a case, the foundation said it immediately contacts the person or family to understand more details and provide aid.
Depending on the situation, it can also issue reminders or anonymous warnings to other Taiwanese businesspeople operating or residing in China, it added.
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