The Mainland Affairs Council Chairman of the Republic of China, Chiu Chui-cheng, pointed out on the 18th that a total of 65 petition cases have been received since January 1st of last year, with 52 Taiwanese nationals missing or suspected of being detained after traveling to the mainland. The Mainland authorities do not proactively report these cases; it is only after the Mainland Affairs Council requests inquiries from the other side that the information becomes known.
Chiu Chui-cheng, in an interview with the host Huang Wei-han on “POP Hit News” on the 18th, stated that last year, China issued the “22 Punishments for Separatism,” using inhumane and uncivilized measures such as absentia trials, retrospective judgments, and death sentences, along with encouraging informant systems. These actions have harmed the emotional ties between the people on both sides of the strait, created a sense of opposition between them, and had a severely negative impact on normal cross-strait exchanges.
He emphasized that the Mainland Affairs Council is concerned about whether the personal safety of Taiwanese people in mainland China is being ensured. At the same time, he once again called on the public to pay attention to safety and assess risks when traveling to the mainland.
Recently, there have been multiple reports of Taiwanese individuals encountering difficulties at customs when traveling to the mainland, being detained for several hours for interrogation, including well-known scholars.
Chiu Chui-cheng stated that according to the statistics of the Mainland Affairs Council, from January 1st, 2024, to the present, there have been a total of 65 petition cases, with 52 Taiwanese nationals missing or suspected to have their personal freedom restricted in mainland China. In response to these cases, the Mainland Affairs Council has requested inquiries with the relevant departments in mainland China.
Chiu Chui-cheng mentioned that under the framework of mutual cooperation on combating crime and judicial assistance agreements between the two sides, mainland China used to proactively report relevant cases. However, recently, Taiwan has had to proactively report cases before mainland China will assist in inquiries and reports.
He said that in addition to those cases, there are 13 incidents involving detentions, interrogations, or requests to cooperate in investigations.
Chiu Chui-cheng explained that once the Mainland Affairs Council receives reports from families, they will conduct home visits to understand the situation and request assistance from mainland China through existing mechanisms for joint investigations. “Every case is taken very seriously.”
(Translated from Central News Agency)