The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has since Jan. 1 last year received 65 petitions regarding Taiwanese who were interrogated or detained in China, MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday.
Fifty-two either went missing or had their personal freedoms restricted, with some put in criminal detention, while 13 were interrogated and temporarily detained, he said in a radio interview.
On June 21 last year, China announced 22 guidelines to punish “die-hard Taiwanese independence separatists,” allowing Chinese courts to try people in absentia.
Photo: EPA-EFE
The guidelines are uncivilized and inhumane, allowing Beijing to seize assets and issue the death penalty, with no regard for potential repercussions for family and friends of the accused, Chiu said.
This significantly increases the risks for Taiwanese visiting China, he added.
The Chinese Communist Party has also established hotlines to report offenders to the authorities, and with tensions high, there is a risk of people being falsely accused, he said.
Last year, 2.77 million Taiwanese traveled to China, Chiu said, urging people to seriously consider the necessity of visiting China, Hong Kong or Macau.
Those who work in government agencies or institutions are often questioned on arrival in China for 30 minutes to four hours, and their suitcases and laptops might be searched, he said, adding that academics who support the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) are not exempt from such checks.
Prior to June 21 last year, Chinese officials would notify Taiwanese authorities of such incidents through cross-strait communication channels, Chiu said.
Now the council must rely on missing persons reports from friends and family before approaching Chinese authorities to clarify the situation, he said.
The National Security Bureau has warned that people who might be categorized as high-risk by Chinese authorities include former government employees — particularly from national security or intelligence bodies — those who have participated in civil movements or criticized China regarding freedom or democracy, and those working on sensitive technologies in the science and technology industry.
More cases are also being reported of Taiwanese obtaining Chinese ID cards, residence permits, resident identity cards or settlement permits, Chiu said in an interview following the radio broadcast.
The council is reviewing all related regulations, and is working hard to push through amendments to the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (台灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例) this legislative session, he said.
The council sought to enact such amendments in 2018, but the proposal was never sent to the Executive Yuan, he added.
However, as the issue has resurfaced, it is seeking to restart the process and would consult academics and experts, discuss it with various sectors and notify the public once progress has been made, he said.
The amendments seek to protect the rights of Taiwanese, he said, warning of the risks for Taiwanese who obtain Chinese ID cards.
Additional reporting by CNA
INVESTIGATION: The case is the latest instance of a DPP figure being implicated in an espionage network accused of allegedly leaking information to Chinese intelligence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) member Ho Jen-chieh (何仁傑) was detained and held incommunicado yesterday on suspicion of spying for China during his tenure as assistant to then-minister of foreign affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮). The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said Ho was implicated during its investigation into alleged spying activities by former Presidential Office consultant Wu Shang-yu (吳尚雨). Prosecutors said there is reason to believe Ho breached the National Security Act (國家安全法) by leaking classified Ministry of Foreign Affairs information to Chinese intelligence. Following interrogation, prosecutors petitioned the Taipei District Court to detain Ho, citing concerns over potential collusion or tampering of evidence. The
NEGOTIATIONS: Taiwan has good relations with Washington and the outlook for the negotiations looks promising, Minister of Economic Affairs J.W. Kuo said Taiwan’s GDP growth this year is expected to decrease by 0.43 to 1.61 percentage points due to the effects of US tariffs, National Development Council (NDC) Minister Paul Liu (劉鏡清) said at a meeting of the legislature’s Economics Committee in Taipei yesterday, citing a preliminary estimate by a private research institution. Taiwan’s economy would be significantly affected by the 32 percent “reciprocal” tariffs slapped by the US, which took effect yesterday, Liu said, adding that GDP growth could fall below 3 percent and potentially even dip below 2 percent to 1.53 percent this year. The council has commissioned another institution
NEGOTIATIONS: The US response to the countermeasures and plans Taiwan presented has been positive, including boosting procurement and investment, the president said Taiwan is included in the first group for trade negotiations with the US, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, as he seeks to shield Taiwanese exporters from a 32 percent tariff. In Washington, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in an interview on Fox News on Thursday that he would speak to his Taiwanese and Israeli counterparts yesterday about tariffs after holding a long discussion with the Vietnamese earlier. US President Donald Trump on Wednesday postponed punishing levies on multiple trade partners, including Taiwan, for three months after trillions of US dollars were wiped off global markets. He has maintained a 10 percent
TRADE: The premier pledged safeguards on ‘Made in Taiwan’ labeling, anti-dumping measures and stricter export controls to strengthen its position in trade talks Products labeled “made in Taiwan” must be genuinely made in Taiwan, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday, vowing to enforce strict safeguards against “origin laundering” and initiate anti-dumping investigations to prevent China dumping its products in Taiwan. Cho made the remarks in a discussion session with representatives from industries in Kaohsiung. In response to the US government’s recent announcement of “reciprocal” tariffs on its trading partners, President William Lai (賴清德) and Cho last week began a series of consultations with industry leaders nationwide to gather feedback and address concerns. Taiwanese and US officials held a videoconference on Friday evening to discuss the
RSS