MAC advises caution for 'high-risk nationals' traveling to China

Taipei, Aug. 30 (CNA) The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Sunday advised Taiwanese people considered "high risk" to carefully evaluate the necessity of traveling to China, following a reported incident in which a Taiwanese national was interrogated for six hours on arriving in Shanghai because of his past work for Amnesty International.

According to a Threads post by a man who identified himself as the individual's father, his son was intercepted by three men after arriving in Shanghai around noon Saturday and questioned.

The interrogation focused on his experience working part-time for the nongovernmental organization, including his duties and whether they involved reports or human rights advocacy concerning China, Hong Kong, the Uyghurs or Tibet.

He was also questioned about politicians and human rights activists with whom he had been in contact and the purpose of his trip to China, the post said.

The interrogated man told them he had not been a decision-maker or core activist at the organization and had already left the group. He was also traveling to China for personal reasons and had no political intentions, according to the post.

The son was eventually released after he brought up forgoing entry into China and returned to Taiwan that night, the father said in his post.

Questioning how Shanghai authorities had learned of his son's previous work, the father said Chinese intelligence agencies have long collected information on employees, interns and volunteers at international human rights organizations and Taiwanese nongovernmental organizations.

He speculated that his son may have unknowingly been placed on a Chinese customs watchlist.

The father said he was thankful that his son had not become a "second Lee Ming-che (李明哲)," a Taiwanese activist who was detained in China for five years after being convicted of "subverting state power." He also stressed that the account in his post was based on real events.

Responding to CNA inquiries, the MAC said Sunday that the family had not reported the incident to the government, but the account was consistent with similar cases known to the council.

The top government agency for cross-strait affairs said the father appeared to be sharing his family's experience to remind the public of the risks associated with traveling to China. It encouraged Taiwanese nationals to report and share their experiences to help provide references for the public.

The MAC said the Chinese Communist Party has long been intolerant of democratic criticism and hostile toward overseas NGOs involved in human rights, environmental protection, government oversight, labor and gender issues.

It also warned Taiwanese nationals not to overlook cases involving people who had previously worked in Taiwanese politics but had since left the field and were nevertheless later handed lengthy prison sentences by Chinese authorities, although it did not cite specific cases.

The MAC said China is scheduled to implement new entry and exit regulations on Sept. 15 that could significantly increase the risks faced by Taiwanese nationals entering the country.

It advised people considered "high risk" to carefully evaluate the necessity of traveling to China and register with the "Registration System for Taiwanese Nationals Traveling to China, Hong Kong or Macau" so that the government can provide timely assistance in the event of an emergency.