There have been three more cases of detainment and one more case of disappearance involving Taiwanese in China, the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) said on Friday, as it urged Taiwanese to be cautious about traveling in China.
China is not safe to visit, as something could happen to a traveler and it is not clear what could be done if something happens, SEF Secretary-General Luo Wen-chia (羅文嘉) said in a statement.
China is not a democracy and it does not have rule of law, or clearly defined rights and procedures, making cases difficult to predict or navigate, he said.
Photo courtesy of the Straits Exchange Foundation
A Taiwanese entrepreneur and his son in Wuhan were arrested for unclear reasons, while another traveler went missing in Guangdong Province’s Zhuhai, Luo said.
Later, a Chinese prisoner called the missing traveler’s family to say the person was in jail, he said.
One Taiwanese academic went to Guangdong to teach at a university and made housing arrangements on campus, but the school abruptly tore up the contract, Luo said.
Beijing has not honored the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement (海峽兩岸共同打擊犯罪及司法互助協議) that requires local law enforcement to inform Taiwanese authorities when a Taiwanese is arrested, he said.
Chinese authorities have no right to tell Taiwanese that their country is safe for travel or business if they continue to refuse to comply with the agreement, practice transparency or abide by procedures, he said.
Beijing’s failure to abide by written agreements undermines its credibility and image in the eyes of Taiwanese, he said.
Taiwan has not reneged on its promise of having an open, constructive, healthy and equal dialogue with Beijing since President William Lai (賴清德) took office in May last year, he said.
The SEF hopes the Chinese authorities start honoring the agreements between Taiwan and China to improve cross-strait relations, Luo said.
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