SEF confirms Changhua man detained in China after 10 months missing

Taipei, Jan. 10 (CNA) Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) confirmed Friday that Chinese public security authorities have detained a Taiwanese man from Changhua County, who had been missing for 10 months.

It has been verified through relevant channels that the 19-year-old man, surnamed Huang (黃), has been detained by the public security authorities in China, said SEF Secretary-General Luo Wen-jia (羅文嘉) at a news conference.

The SEF, a semi-official organization tasked by Taiwan's government with handling technical matters involving China, has contacted Huang's family and obtained a general understanding of the possible reasons for his detention, Luo said.

However, he added that further details about the reasons for the detention will not be disclosed as the matter concerns Huang's personal affairs.

Luo said that according to the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement, Chinese authorities are supposed to promptly notify Taiwan's National Police Agency if a Taiwanese citizens is detained in China.

"Why are you not honoring agreements that have been signed?" Luo criticized the Chinese authorities, urging them to adhere to the existing notification mechanism which is "a mutual responsibility that benefits people on both sides of the Taiwan strait."

The failure of Chinese authorities to adhere to such mechanisms outlined in the agreement resulted in Huang being out of contact for an extended period, leaving both the Taiwanese government and his family in the dark about his situation, Luo said.

When Huang's family recently received a notice from Chinese authorities about his situation, they initially suspected it might be a scam. It was only after considerable effort that they were able to gain a clearer understanding of the circumstances, Luo said.

The SEF has formally reached out to its Chinese counterpart, the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits, regarding Huang's case, according to Luo.

Originally from Changhua's Shengang Township, Huang went missing in March last year, with his family recently receiving a notice from a public security bureau in the Chinese city of Datong in Shanxi Province about his detention.

The notice stated that Huang has been detained on fraud charges filed against him on Dec. 2.