China's expanding border scrutiny raises safety concerns for Taiwanese travellers

Taipei [Taiwan], August 31 (ANI): Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has warned citizens to exercise heightened caution when travelling to China after a Taiwanese man alleged that his son was subjected to six hours of questioning in Shanghai over his previous employment with Amnesty International, as reported by The Taipei Times.
According to The Taipei Times, the MAC stated that 426 Taiwanese had gone missing, been detained, or faced restrictions on their movement in China since January 1, 2024.
The number represented an increase of seven from the previous week. Of those cases, 160 Taiwanese were reported missing, 36 had been detained for questioning, and 230 were suspected of having their freedom of movement restricted.
The warning comes ahead of new Chinese entry and exit regulations scheduled to take effect on September 15.
The MAC said the measures would formalise existing controls while leaving important provisions broadly defined, potentially giving Chinese authorities considerable discretion in enforcing them.
The council cautioned that Taiwanese travellers holding a Taiwan Compatriot Permit could also face scrutiny under the new rules.
It noted that Chinese authorities have previously targeted individuals for political or rights-related activities carried out years earlier, even after they had moved into unrelated fields.
The latest case emerged after a Taiwanese parent posted on social media that his son had been stopped by Chinese customs while travelling to Shanghai for business.
Three plainclothes officials allegedly questioned him about his previous work at Amnesty International, including its funding, activities concerning China, Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet, and his contacts with activists and political figures, as highlighted by The Taipei Times.
The officials allegedly pressured the man to unlock his cellphone and examined messages, photographs, emails and work-related files.
He ultimately withdrew his application to enter China and returned safely to Taiwan.
The MAC said the account was consistent with similar incidents previously documented by authorities, although the family had not formally reported the case, as reported by The Taipei Times. (ANI)