The shocking news on Tuesday that a group of 17 Chinese tourists have gone missing serves as a blow to those who are addicted to the opening of direct links between Taiwan and China.
The case is the first of its kind since Taiwan opened its doors to Chinese tourists about two years ago. According to one of the group's members, who was arrested by Taoyuan police yesterday, he came to Taiwan simply to find a job. As nobody picked them up when they arrived at the CKS International Airport on July 13, they left by taxi. Police are still looking for the 16 other people who went missing.
Signs show that this could have been a well-planned trip, and these tourists may have some accomplices in Taiwan, with whom they may be staying. According to one of the taxi drivers who transported the tourists, he was directed to "a certain location" by a woman with a "mainland" accent.
Perhaps the man is simply an economic refugee, and before we have any evidence, we will not make assumptions and accuse the missing tourists of having any political or intelligence missions. Still, the massive number of illegal immigrants from China in Taiwan and the sophisticated network they have built are shocking enough.
According to the Tourism Bureau's official statistics, a total of 37 Chinese tourists have gone missing after entering the nation legally this year. The Immigration Office of the National Police Agency pointed out on Tuesday that between November 1988 and June 30 this year, a total of 14,803 Chinese citizens went missing after they entered Taiwan legally. Of these, 4,806 have been found but are still in Taiwan, while another 3,638 are still unaccounted for.
These figures naturally do not include illegal immigrants who enter Taiwan by sea. As these people do not pass through any government channels, their number cannot be estimated. In addition, based on Ministry of the Interior statistics quoted by Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, of the Chinese women entering Taiwan to marry, five out of six are entering into marriages of convenience.
Such figures are shocking, for they expose a loophole in our public order and national security. At a time when China still looks on Taiwan with enmity, these people -- who have entered Taiwan legally but who now cannot be traced -- are ticking bombs embedded in our society, and are a threat to national security.
The pan-blues, now out of office, have repeatedly called for the opening of the three direct links as an important part of their bid to win votes. Some Taiwanese businesses have made use of their votes to pressure the Chen administration to establish the three links, the reason being that this will reduce transport costs between Taiwan and China. It is also an expression of their hope for a greater China economic sphere. But these purely economic motives, if looked at in the light of Taiwan's social order and national security concerns, can be seen as the short-sighted policies they are.
Don't forget, the three links work both ways. The moment we open the doors to China -- even if we ignore obvious concerns about political and military infiltration and the placement of spies -- the number of people who will "jump ship" and remain in Taiwan working illegally, is sufficient to cause insoluble social problems. If we just want to make money and do not bother to defend our social order or national security, then we might as well just let Chinese workers come and run the place.
Two weeks ago, Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh (楊紫瓊) raised hackles in Taiwan by posting to her 2.6 million Instagram followers that she was visiting “Taipei, China.” Yeoh’s post continues a long-standing trend of Chinese propaganda that spreads disinformation about Taiwan’s political status and geography, aimed at deceiving the world into supporting its illegitimate claims to Taiwan, which is not and has never been part of China. Taiwan must respond to this blatant act of cognitive warfare. Failure to respond merely cedes ground to China to continue its efforts to conquer Taiwan in the global consciousness to justify an invasion. Taiwan’s government
This month’s news that Taiwan ranks as Asia’s happiest place according to this year’s World Happiness Report deserves both celebration and reflection. Moving up from 31st to 27th globally and surpassing Singapore as Asia’s happiness leader is gratifying, but the true significance lies deeper than these statistics. As a society at the crossroads of Eastern tradition and Western influence, Taiwan embodies a distinctive approach to happiness worth examining more closely. The report highlights Taiwan’s exceptional habit of sharing meals — 10.1 shared meals out of 14 weekly opportunities, ranking eighth globally. This practice is not merely about food, but represents something more
In an article published on this page on Tuesday, Kaohsiung-based journalist Julien Oeuillet wrote that “legions of people worldwide would care if a disaster occurred in South Korea or Japan, but the same people would not bat an eyelid if Taiwan disappeared.” That is quite a statement. We are constantly reading about the importance of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), hailed in Taiwan as the nation’s “silicon shield” protecting it from hostile foreign forces such as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and so crucial to the global supply chain for semiconductors that its loss would cost the global economy US$1
Concerns that the US might abandon Taiwan are often overstated. While US President Donald Trump’s handling of Ukraine raised unease in Taiwan, it is crucial to recognize that Taiwan is not Ukraine. Under Trump, the US views Ukraine largely as a European problem, whereas the Indo-Pacific region remains its primary geopolitical focus. Taipei holds immense strategic value for Washington and is unlikely to be treated as a bargaining chip in US-China relations. Trump’s vision of “making America great again” would be directly undermined by any move to abandon Taiwan. Despite the rhetoric of “America First,” the Trump administration understands the necessity of
RSS