TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A Taiwanese travel industry operator was detained upon arrival in Hong Kong last month over an alleged crime from decades ago.
On Wednesday, Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said that KMT legislative caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (傅崐萁), along with his wife, Hualien County Magistrate Hsu Chen-wei (徐榛蔚), led a delegation to Hong Kong on Feb. 18, per Mirror Media. Lin criticized Fu for claiming to represent the government but failing to protect his delegation.
Mirror Media cited a source as saying that among Fu’s group, a female travel industry professional surnamed Chen (陳) was taken into custody by Hong Kong police upon entry. Chen was accused of being involved in a money laundering case in Hong Kong 25 years ago and has been in detention since.
Fu made a low-profile trip to Hong Kong just before the opening of the current legislative session, missing cross-party negotiations. The reason for his absence only became known after Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) disclosed it.
Fu later said he had arranged and funded his trip to attend a Hong Kong tourism expo “to support Hualien’s tourism and travel industry.” However, the Economic Democracy Union accused Fu of violating the Anti-Infiltration Act and of coercion.
The group alleged that Fu held meetings with multiple Hong Kong district councilors and officials from Hong Kong’s tourism regulatory agency, claiming to represent “Taiwan’s central government” and even promising subsidies for cross-county and city tourism cooperation in Taiwan.
According to the report, Fu’s delegation to Hong Kong included county government officials and travel industry professionals from Hualien, including Chen. Reports indicate that Chen worked at Hualien’s Shin Kong Chao Feng Ranch and Resort.
After learning of her arrest, her family immediately sought help from TPP Legislator Lin Yi-chun (林憶君). Chen remains in detention, and her bail application was denied.
Mirror Media found that Chen was accused by Hong Kong authorities of involvement in a money laundering case 25 years ago, involving US$10,000 (NT$328,000). Since there is no statute of limitations for money laundering in Hong Kong, she was arrested upon entry but claims she has no recollection of the alleged case.
In an interview on the YouTube channel Taiwan Green All broadcast on Wednesday, Lin Chia-lung asked, “If Fu truly represents the central government, why couldn’t he protect his own delegation member?”
The foreign minister said, “When we talk about going to Hong Kong, the situation there is quite dangerous now.” He warned, “Once you enter, you don’t know what kind of records they have on you.”
Lin added, “If Fu Kun-chi wants to represent the central government, he can dine, but some agreements should not be signed recklessly, especially those involving cross-strait matters, as there are many regulations in place because cross-strait relations are closely related to national security.”
