TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — From January to July, 94 cases involving Taiwanese businesspeople facing personal safety emergencies in China were reported, while four elderly members of the I-Kuan Tao religious group detained by Chinese authorities are expected to face prosecution.
According to Liberty Times, the Straits Exchange Foundation has handled four main types of safety incidents this year: post-mortem arrangements, restrictions on personal freedom due to legal cases, missing persons, and cases of Taiwanese stranded in China requiring medical treatment or resettlement. Other cases include medical evacuation via the Mini-Three-Links and issues with lost or expired documents.
The SEF noted that since it has no offices in China, it relies on local Taiwanese business associations to gather information and provide immediate assistance when emergencies occur. If necessary, it requests help from the Beijing-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits to coordinate with Chinese authorities.
Most case details cannot be disclosed due to business confidentiality and family privacy, the SEF said, and cases may change classification as circumstances evolve. For example, someone initially reported as “missing” may later be confirmed as “detained,” “arrested,” “released on bail pending trial,” or “under residential surveillance.”
Once a case is reported, the SEF contacts the individual or their family to confirm details and provide assistance. It also reminds Taiwanese businesspeople in China to remain alert to potential risks.
An official familiar with cross-strait issues said the four I-Kuan Tao members detained last October in Guangdong and Guangxi have not been released and are expected to face prosecution. All are in their 70s and were accused of “organizing and practicing as members of a cult that undermines law enforcement.”
Under China’s criminal law, organizing or using a sect, cult, or superstition to obstruct the law carries a sentence of three to seven years, with more serious cases punishable by over seven years in prison.
In a similar case two years ago, three I-Kuan Tao followers in Guangdong were released after paying fines. Officials said the harsher handling of last year’s case may reflect differences in local enforcement or case specifics.
