Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has recently fabricated claims that some Taiwanese citizens have gone 'missing' or been 'detained and interrogated' after traveling to the mainland, providing material for false political narratives concocted by Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te. On Wednesday, Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office, responded by saying that the DPP authorities repeatedly fabricate lies and maliciously hype up the issue, attempting to create a 'chilling effect' and intimidate the Taiwanese public. This fully exposes their sinister intentions to deliberately block and sabotage cross-strait exchanges and the movement of people, all for the sake of their separatist agenda.
According to Taiwanese media reports on Tuesday, the MAC recently claimed that since July, 10 new cases of Taiwanese citizens traveling to the mainland have 'gone missing'. The MAC also released so-called statistical data on social media, claiming that from January 1, 2024, to July 8, 2024, a cumulative total of 385 Taiwanese citizens have 'gone missing' after traveling to the mainland.
Zhu Fenglian responded: 'Since 2024, more and more Taiwanese compatriots have come to the mainland for exchanges, study, employment, tourism, and business inspections, totaling over 11.7 million visits. The facts fully prove that as long as they do not engage in illegal or criminal activities, Taiwanese who come to the mainland can come happily and return safely, and it also proves that the lies and conspiracies of the DPP authorities have been seen through by more and more Taiwanese compatriots.'
In response to the MAC’s claims, many netizens on the island have also expressed skepticism, saying: 'No family members have come forward—only MAC data,' 'My coworker went on a business trip to the mainland and came back just fine,' 'All my friends who went to the mainland returned without any issues; the green camp (DPP) is making up scary stories again, so funny!' 'The topic of resisting China to protect Taiwan is already worn out and can’t be hyped up anymore.'