According to the Central News Agency (CNA), on Sept. 24, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) disclosed four cases involving five Taiwanese personnel who were questioned while traveling in mainland China. They included two officers from the Criminal Investigation Bureau, two civil servants from tax authorities under the Ministry of Finance, and a nurse from a hospital under the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
The nurse had previously worked at a military hospital and was questioned by Chinese Communist Party personnel about information concerning military hospital personnel and their ranks. MAC Deputy Minister and spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh said this was the first known case involving a former military hospital nurse being questioned during a trip to China.
At a regular MAC press conference on Sept. 24, Liang said the first case involved two officers from the Criminal Investigation Bureau who traveled to Harbin and other locations for sightseeing in July. During the trip, personnel affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party visited their hotel and questioned them on three consecutive nights.
According to the MAC, the questioning covered their views on cross-Strait unification, Taiwan’s political situation, and “Taiwan independence.” The officials also asked about the officers’ police duties.
The next two cases involved civil servants working for tax authorities under the Ministry of Finance. One was questioned during a July trip to Beijing, Tianjin and other locations, while the other was approached and questioned by Chinese Communist Party-affiliated personnel during an August trip to Tibet, Sichuan and other areas.
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In discussing the cases, Liang Wen-chieh cautioned that even civil servants traveling to mainland China for private trips may become targets of questioning because of their government affiliation or previous work experience. He therefore urged them to fully understand the potential risks before traveling to China.
Former military hospital nurse questioned in Tibet
The fourth case involved a nurse at a hospital under Taiwan’s Ministry of Health and Welfare. The nurse traveled to Tibet in August and was questioned by Chinese public security personnel because of having previously worked at a military hospital.
According to Taiwan Indigenous Television, Liang Wen-chieh said Chinese authorities questioned the nurse about military hospital branches and wards, as well as information about hospital officials. They also sought the hospital director’s address, the head nurse’s name and rank, and the military ranks of soldiers receiving treatment and the doctors treating them.
Liang noted that there have already been numerous cases of military and police personnel from Taiwan being questioned during trips to China. However, this was the first known case involving a nurse who had previously worked at a military hospital. He said the questions indicated that the authorities were interested not only in the individual’s identity but also in information about Taiwan’s military medical system and its personnel.
Amid a series of recent cases involving Taiwanese government personnel being questioned while traveling to China, Liang Wen-chieh again urged government agencies to strengthen risk assessments for employees seeking approval to travel to mainland China. In addition to verifying the purpose of travel, agencies should conduct thorough risk assessments and provide necessary security briefings before approving trips, to prevent the collection of confidential government information and personal data about personnel.
Liang also advised civil servants not to disclose information about their agency’s organizational structure, work duties, or personal information about colleagues and supervisors while in mainland China. If they encounter unusual approaches or questioning, they should truthfully report the incident to the relevant authorities after returning to Taiwan.
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