Reports indicate that since January 2024, a total of 313 cases involving Taiwanese individuals missing, being arrested, questioned, or facing restrictions on personal liberties in China have been documented by Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC). Among these cases, 114 individuals were reported missing, 25 were arrested or questioned, and 174 had their personal freedoms curtailed. The actual number of incidents may be significantly higher, with estimates suggesting it could be up to three times the reported figure.
Last month, 17 Taiwanese citizens were either reported missing or detained in China, with half of them still unaccounted for, as per an anonymous official. The number of such cases has been steadily increasing each month, with 221 cases reported in 2025, marking a substantial rise from 55 cases in 2024. In June 2024, China introduced a 22-point guideline aimed at cracking down on Taiwanese independence activists, making it easier for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to detain or interrogate individuals from Taiwan.
Following these developments, traveling to Hong Kong, China, or Macao has become increasingly risky for Taiwanese nationals, according to authorities. Additionally, in October of the previous year, MAC disclosed that 132 Taiwanese citizens had their freedom of movement restricted in China between January 1, 2024, and September 30, 2025, with a majority of cases linked to fraudulent activities. Of the restricted individuals, 93 were associated with fraud, 13 with religious activities, one with national security, and 25 with miscellaneous incidents, as reported by MAC Deputy Minister Liang Wen-chieh during a press briefing.
During the same period, 61 Taiwanese individuals were reported missing, while 19 were subjected to questioning, bringing the total number of cases involving loss of contact, interrogation, or limitations on freedom of movement to 212, according to Liang.
