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Lawrence Chung

Taiwan will send senior officials to negotiate with Beijing authorities over 45 Taiwanese nationals it claims were “abducted” to the mainland from Kenya, the island’s mainland affairs chief said on Wednesday.
The decision came as Beijing insisted that it had jurisdiction in dealing with the case as the Taiwanese were suspects in a telecommunication fraud case on the mainland.
Taipei demands Beijing release eight Taiwanese ‘abducted’ in Kenya
Andrew Hsia Li-yan, chairman of Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, told parliament in Taipei that the adminstration of mainland-friendly President Ma Ying-jeou was “extremely indignant” over the case.
“We will try our best to group vice-ministerial officials or department heads from the MAC, Justice Ministry, Criminal Police Department, and the Straits Exchange Foundation to go to the mainland in the next two or three days to negotiate with the mainland authorities over the case,” Hsia said.
The 45 Taiwanese were among a large group of Chinese arrested in Kenya for alleged involvement in phone scams targeting victims on the mainland.
We will try our best to group vice-ministerial officials or department heads ... to go to the mainland
Andrew Hsia, chairman of Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council
Eight of the Taiwanese were released after being cleared of charges by a Kenyan court, but were flown to Beijing on Monday, despite protests by Taiwan.

On Tuesday, the mainland flew another 37 Taiwanese to Beijing after they were deported by Kenya.
Beijing’s action has shocked the Taiwanese public and officials, prompting an angry protest by Ma who demanded the immediate return of the Taiwanese.
The Kenyan government said the people were in Kenya illegally and were being sent back to where they had come from. But Taiwan says Kenyan police used tear gas to put Taiwanese on plane to mainland China
The mainland’s Ministry of Public Security said in a statement released by Xinhua said that Kenya had decided to repatriate 32 mainlanders and 45 Taiwanese to the mainland, of whom 10 had already arrived and while the remaining 67 were due to land on Wednesday.
The ministry said the Taiwanese had been heavily involved in telecoms fraud on the mainland, causing huge losses, with some victims allegedly killing themselves.

The group detained in Kenya had operated out of the capital Nairobi and were suspected of cheating victims out of millions of yuan in nine mainland provinces and cities and would be prosecuted there, it added.
I hope the Taiwan side can give more thought to the victims when it looks at this issue
An Fengshan, spokesman, Taiwan Affairs Office
Taiwan had been informed of the situation and would invite Taiwan law enforcement officials to visit and discuss how best to tackle such fraud, the ministry said.
An Fengshan, spokesman for the mainland’s Taiwan Affairs Office, said Taipei needed to view the case rationally.
“I hope the Taiwan side can give more thought to the victims when it looks at this issue,” An told a news conference broadcast on mainland television.
War with China ‘likely’ if Taiwan continues to seek independence, says ex-PLA general
Beijing views Taiwan as a renegade province reunificiation, and has not ruled out the use of force to reclaim the island.
Defeated Nationalist forces fled to the island in 1949 after the civil war with the Communists who have remained in control in Beijing. Both sides claim to the be the rightful rulers of the whole of China.
Only 22 countries recognise Taiwan as the Republic of China, with most, including Kenya, having diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China.
Additional reporting by Reuters


‘Indignant’ Taiwan to send officials to Beijing to negotiate release of nationals deported from Kenya for alleged phone scam

Seventy seven Chinese telecom fraud suspects - including 45 Taiwanese - arrive at the Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing on Wednesday following their deportation from Kenya. Photo: Xinhua

(160413) -- BEIJING, April 13, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Chinese telecom fraud suspects deported from Kenya get off a plane after arriving at the Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, capital of China, April 13, 2016. Kenyan police deported 77 Chinese telecom fraud suspects, including 45 Taiwanese, to the Chinese mainland. The first group of 10 people had been repatriated on Saturday and the remaining 67 were sent back by a chartered plane on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Yin Gang) (ry)

Andrew Hsia (3rdR), Minister of Mainland Affairs Council, listens to a lawmaker (R) as other government officials stand behind at the Interior Committee of the Parliament on April 13, 2016. Taiwan said Kenyan police broke down a jail wall and used tear gas to force a second group of Taiwanese to board a plane for China, a day after accusing Beijing of "abducting" eight other citizens. / AFP PHOTO / SAM YEH

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Taipei’s chief of mainland affairs says top level delegation will depart in the next few days
