TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Mainland Affairs Council on Sunday urged citizens considered high-risk to assess the necessity of traveling to China after a social-media user reported that his son was questioned for about six hours after arriving in Shanghai because he had previously worked for Amnesty International.
The user, whose Threads account is identified as vincentchou08, said his son arrived in Shanghai on Saturday afternoon for a business trip and was stopped at immigration before being taken to a private room for questioning. According to the post, three plainclothes officers questioned the man extensively about his previous work with the human rights organization, per CNA.
The officers allegedly asked about his responsibilities; whether he had worked on reports or human rights advocacy involving China, Hong Kong, Xinjiang, or Tibet; the organization's sources of funding; and his contacts with Taiwanese and international politicians and human rights activists.
The man was also allegedly asked to unlock his phone so officers could examine his chat history and work-related files, according to the post. The man told his father that he had not been a decision-maker or core member of the organization and had already left his job. He also said his trip was for personal reasons and had no political purpose. The post said the man ultimately decided not to enter China and returned to Taiwan later that evening.
The account holder questioned how Chinese authorities had learned about his son's previous employment, suggesting that Chinese intelligence agencies may have compiled lists of employees, interns, and volunteers associated with international human rights organizations and major Taiwanese NGOs. The claim about such intelligence lists could not be independently verified.
The father said he was relieved that his son did not "become another Lee Ming-che (李明哲)," referring to the Taiwanese pro-democracy activist who was detained by Chinese authorities in March 2017 and later sentenced to five years in prison for subversion of state power. Lee was released in April 2022 after completing his sentence and returned to Taiwan the following day.
MAC said Sunday that the individual involved had not reported the incident to the government but that the account was consistent with other cases previously handled by the council. The council encouraged Taiwanese to share their experiences of difficulties encountered while traveling in China, saying such accounts help raise public awareness of potential risks, per CNA.
The council said China has shown intolerance toward criticism involving democracy and pluralism and has been hostile toward personnel from overseas NGOs working on issues including human rights, environmental protection, oversight of public power, labor rights, and gender diversity.
It also warned that people who were politically active in Taiwan earlier in their lives but later moved into nonpolitical fields could still face scrutiny or punishment by Chinese authorities.
The council said China's new “Revision of Exit and Entry Administration” is scheduled to take effect Sept. 15, significantly increasing personal safety risks for Taiwanese traveling to China. The council has urged Taiwanese to register their trips through its online registration system for citizens visiting China, which allows the government to contact travelers and provide emergency assistance.
