The foreign ministry says that 18 Taiwanese nationals being held in Cambodia could be sent to China within the week.
The 18 are being held on suspicion of involvement in a telecom fraud ring. The foreign ministry had initially reported that the number of arrested Taiwanese nationals was 17.
China has a close relationship with Cambodia, and the two countries have an extradition treaty. It is thought the suspects could be sent to China on the grounds that their victims were Chinese.
But Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Eleanor Wang said Thursday that Taiwanese diplomats on the ground continue working to secure the suspects’ release to Taiwan, where they will face prosecution.
Wang said that Cambodia and Taiwan have worked together on the extradition cases of more than 200 Taiwanese nationals. She said she hopes the Taiwanese suspects will be returned to Taiwan based on the nationality principle.
Meanwhile, Mainland Affairs Council Spokesperson Chiu Chui-cheng said that Taiwan has told Chinese authorities the practice of sending Taiwanese suspected of crimes abroad to China will not be helpful to the development of positive cross-strait interaction.