TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The number of Taiwanese missing or detained in China is more than double last year’s total, the Mainland Affairs Council said Thursday.

In a broadcast interview, Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) put the number of cases so far this year at 133, compared to 55 for all of 2024, the Liberty Times reported. The figures are based on information supplied by relatives.

The cases fall into three categories, including travelers whose whereabouts are unknown. The government is asking China for more information about that group after being notified of their disappearance by family members, Chiu said.

A second category comprises people under investigation or in detention, while a third includes those whose movement has been restricted by Chinese authorities over alleged legal violations. Taiwanese members of the I-Kuan Tao (一貫道) religion belong to the last group due to accusations of illegal proselytizing.

The number of cases is increasing by about 20 per month, Chiu said. He added that the rise is a key reason the travel alert for China has remained at the orange level since last year, urging Taiwanese to weigh the risks of travel across the Taiwan Strait and to register with the government before their trip.