TAIPEI (Reuters) – Cambodia has deported an unknown number of Taiwanese citizens to China after they were arrested working in telecom fraud centres, the island’s foreign ministry said on Monday, a move that comes ahead of China’s President Xi Jinping visit to the country.
The ministry said in a statement that Cambodia had recently arrested 180 Taiwanese fraud centre suspects and that on Sunday and early on Monday deported almost 190 people to China at the Chinese government’s request.
“Cambodia, under pressure from China, did not provide a list of our country’s nationals or the total number deported, and the ministry not only continues to urge Cambodia to provide the list as soon as possible, but also expresses its serious concern and protest,” it said.
Neither the Cambodia nor Chinese foreign ministries immediately responded to requests for comment.
Xi arrived in Vietnam earlier on Monday as part of a Southeast Asian tour that will also include Cambodia and Malaysia.
Cambodia is one of China’s closest friends in Southeast Asia, and Taiwan does not have a de facto embassy there, unlike in many other parts of the region.
Cambodia, like most countries, only has formal diplomatic ties with China, which considers Taiwan one of its provinces with no right to state-to-state relations, a position the government in Taipei rejects.
Taiwan has previously complained about countries deporting its nationals to China arrested on suspicion of involvement in telecom fraud schemes, including by Cambodia, Kenya and Spain.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard. Editing by Gerry Doyle)
