Taiwanese information security inspectors disappeared while traveling to China? Liang Wenjie: We have indeed received several cases recently

The documentary "State-Owned Organs" continues to be screened in Taiwan, and a post-screening symposium was held. Recently, a researcher working for an information security company broke the news at the symposium after watching the movie. In June this year, a tester from the company went to China and disappeared. Mainland Affairs Council spokesman Liang Wenjie said today that although the Mainland Affairs Council has not received a complaint from the person involved, the Mainland Affairs Council has recently received several cases in which people working in the information security or semiconductor technology industries were detained for questioning and their personal freedom was restricted when they went to China.

According to this female audience member’s description at the film symposium, she was a security researcher and discovered that Xiaomi’s sweeping machines would transmit data back to China. Because of her research, she became a wanted criminal in China and was offered a reward of 40,000 yuan.

She pointed out that the company she worked for was also involved in information security. In April this year, a colleague and his family traveled to China. That person was the company's "switchboard". When he entered the country at Shanghai Airport, he was taken to a small room and interrogated for several hours. Because he was young, he did not report it to anyone else at the time.

She went on to say that in June this year, another testing personnel from the company went to China, and then "disappeared" and has not returned until now. You may not realize this. We are just a small researcher doing some security research commissioned by clients, and one day we will become a wanted criminal.

Regarding this case, Liang Wenjie said at the Mainland Affairs Council press conference that regarding this case, the Mainland Affairs Council has not received a representation from the person involved. We will try to see if we can find the person involved and learn more about it.

However, Liang Wenjie changed the topic and said that the association has indeed received several cases recently in which people working in the information security or semiconductor technology industry were detained for questioning or had their personal freedom restricted when they went to China. We will continue to pay attention to whether China has deliberately targeted these people, and will report the results to the outside world.

Regarding China’s new entry and exit regulations that will be implemented on September 15, the Mainland Affairs Council has recently warned Taiwanese businessmen, Taiwanese enterprises, Taiwan’s high-tech industries, and semiconductor talents to go to China, fearing that there may be personal risks.

The media asked, did the above case occur after the new immigration regulations came into effect? Liang Wenjie responded that some happened before and some happened after. As for whether these things happened because of his background in information communications or semiconductors, we are still confirming.