Taiwan Seeks Return of Missing Soldier Who Was Found in China

Soldiers stand onboard a Taiwan Navy minelayer in Keelung, Taiwan, on Jan. 7, 2022. I-Hwa Cheng/Bloomberg via Getty Images

A Taiwanese soldier who went missing last week has been located in the Chinese city of Xiamen, according to a Taiwanese official who said the government is working to have him returned.

The 26-year-old soldier, identified only by his family name Chen, was reported missing after being absent from roll call on March 9 on Erdan Island, part of the Taiwan-controlled Kinmen chain located near the Chinese city of Xiamen. Chen’s family was contacted following his disappearance and the Kinmen Defense Command began a search operation.

Chinese authorities confirmed Chen’s whereabouts in Xiamen and Taiwan will follow the proper procedures for his repatriation, Chiu Tai-san, head of Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), said on March 13.

“It’s confirmed that he is in the mainland,” he told reporters. “The Defense Ministry and relevant departments are actively aware of the relevant progress and situation.”

Chiu said Taiwan’s authorities are still investigating whether Chen is “a deserter,” Focus Taiwan reported.

It isn’t known what caused his disappearance and how he ended up in Xiamen. Chen allegedly swam to China and was found by a Chinese coast guard patrol boat, local media reported, although Taiwan hasn’t verified the claims.

Chen Yu-jen, a lawmaker on Kinmen, said the soldier had no financial debt and “behaved normally” in the days leading up to his disappearance. The serviceman’s father claimed that he is a poor swimmer.

In Taiwan, a soldier absent from duty without permission for more than six days can be subject to three years in jail, detention, or a fine of up to NT$300,000 (about $9,780), according to Focus Taiwan.

Taiwan Reported Loss of Handgun

Chen’s disappearance occurred just a day after Taiwan’s navy reported the loss of a handgun and weapon components from its armories. The navy found that a 45-caliber handgun was replaced with a fake gun at the Marine Corps Recruit Training Center in Pingtung county, and two T-91 rifles were missing bolts.

Taiwan’s Marine Corps has ordered inspections and investigations into the matter, Taipei Times reported.

Some Taiwanese lawmakers have raised concerns over the incidents and urged authorities to tighten military discipline to prevent further occurrences.

“Scandals involving personal relationships and drug use in the armed forces in recent years show that the Defense Ministry has loose screws,” Hsu Chih-chieh, a legislator of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), said on March 8.

Another DPP legislator, Wang Ting-yu, said the loss of weapons was “absolutely unacceptable,” saying that the stolen firearm could fall into criminals’ hands. Wang urged authorities to catch the perpetrator and resolve the issue.

China–Taiwan Tensions

Beijing regards self-governing Taiwan as a breakaway province that must be united with mainland China by any means necessary. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has ramped up military pressure on Taiwan over the past year, with Chinese aircraft frequently violating Taiwan’s airspace.

A Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft flies over the 68-nautical-mile scenic spot, one of mainland China's closest points to the island of Taiwan, in Pingtan island, Fujian province, China, on Aug. 5, 2022. Aly Song/Reuters

Earlier this month, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said at the National People’s Congress that Beijing should advance “peaceful reunification” with Taiwan, while taking “resolute steps” to oppose the island’s independence.

In response, the MAC said that Beijing must “face up to the fact that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are not subordinate to each other” and urged the CCP to respect the Taiwanese people’s commitment to upholding the island’s sovereignty.

The MAC also called on Beijing to handle cross-Strait affairs pragmatically “in a rational, equal, practical, and mutually respectful manner” so as to foster positive interaction between the two sides.

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen has made bolstering Taiwan’s defense capabilities her top priority but has ruled out armed confrontation with China. She had offered talks with the CCP to reach a “mutually agreeable arrangement,” but Beijing rebuffed them.