Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council revealed that the number of Taiwanese citizens encountering problems in China in 2025 increased significantly compared to the previous year. A total of 221 individuals from Taiwan faced issues such as going missing, being detained, questioned, or having their personal freedom restricted while in China. This marked a fourfold rise from the 55 cases reported in the preceding year.
The Mainland Affairs Council cautioned against the resumption of group tours from Taiwan to China due to the lack of recourse to Taipei in case of emergencies. The closure of communication channels between the Taiwan Strait Tourism Association and China’s Association for Tourism Exchange Across the Taiwan Strait poses risks to Taiwanese travelers in China. Without these channels, Taiwanese visitors may face heightened uncertainties and safety concerns during their trips to Beijing.
The MAC emphasized the importance of ensuring the safety and interests of Taiwanese citizens when traveling to China. It urged the two tourism associations to engage in dialogue before considering the restart of cross-strait tourism activities. The MAC’s priority remains safeguarding the well-being of Taiwanese nationals during their travels abroad, as reported by Taipei Times.
The MAC disclosed that from January 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025, 132 Taiwanese nationals experienced restrictions on their freedom of movement in China. The majority of these cases, amounting to over 70%, were linked to fraud-related incidents. Among the cases reported, 93 were associated with fraud, 13 with religious activities, one with national security, and 25 with miscellaneous issues, according to MAC Deputy Minister Liang Wen-chieh.
In the same period, 61 Taiwanese individuals were reported missing, while 19 were subjected to interrogation while in China. This brought the total number of cases involving loss of contact, questioning, or restrictions on movement to 212, highlighting the challenges faced by Taiwanese nationals in China.
