Chinese State Security Questions Taiwanese Nurse Traveling in Tibet

A Taiwanese nurse traveling in Tibet said he was questioned for about an hour by Chinese state security personnel about his political views, military service, employment and views on cross-strait relations.

The nurse, identified only by his surname Lin, described the encounter in an Oct. 12 post on Threads and later spoke with Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA). He said three of the eight Taiwanese travelers in his tour group were questioned separately.

Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) confirmed on Oct. 15 that it had contacted Lin and said he currently works at a public hospital. The agency warned that current and former public-sector employees can face questioning when traveling in mainland China. CNA reported that Lin told officials he publicized the encounter to make other Taiwanese travelers aware that such questioning occurs.

Questions focused on politics, work and military service

Lin said he was called away shortly after checking into a hotel in Tibet and taken to the balcony of an empty room, where three people questioned him. He said he learned afterward that they were Chinese state security personnel.

According to CNA’s account of the interview, the officers asked about Lin’s personal background, political preferences, military service and views on relations between Taiwan and China. Because he had worked at two public hospitals, they also asked whether he had treated military personnel and whether his work brought him into contact with Taipei City Government officials.

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Lin said the questioning lasted about an hour. His phone was not confiscated, and he was not asked to sign a confidentiality agreement.

Three people from his eight-member tour group were questioned separately—two nurses and an aircraft maintenance technician. Lin said the tour guide told him that having three people questioned in one group was unusual.

The officers also asked about his voting habits, travel history and views of the United States and Japan. Lin recalled being asked whether he would support unification with China in exchange for a higher salary and whether he knew he could obtain Chinese nationality.

Lin said the officers tried to keep the conversation informal but repeatedly returned to questions that appeared intended to determine his political views.

“I felt they often asked seemingly trivial questions, but many of them were actually attempts to continually test my political views,” Lin said, according to CNA.

He said he does not normally express political views online and was unsure why he had been selected for questioning. After his account attracted public attention, Lin said he did not plan to return to China for the time being.

Taiwan reports hundreds of cases involving travelers to China

Lin’s case follows several reports this year of Taiwanese public employees and professionals being questioned while traveling in mainland China.

In September, Taiwan’s MAC said another nurse who had previously worked at a military hospital was questioned while visiting Tibet. CNA reported that the nurse’s previous employment at the military hospital was a focus of the questioning.

Other cases cited by Taiwanese authorities have involved police officers and judicial personnel. In July, CNA reported that a serving Taiwanese police officer and a retired officer were questioned in isolation during a June trip to Fujian. The MAC also said a Taiwanese judge had previously been questioned at a hotel while traveling in northern China.

The Chinese government has rejected Taiwan’s broader characterization of such incidents. At a July press briefing, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office accused Taiwanese authorities of exaggerating the risks and said Taiwanese travelers who do not engage in illegal activity have no reason for concern. CNA reported the exchange.