Chinese police have detained four employees of Taiwanese iPhone manufacturer Foxconn, a situation that Taipei has described as “strange.”
The arrests occurred in Zhengzhou, Henan province, and are reportedly related to “breach of trust” charges, according to Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council.
The BBC has reached out to Foxconn for a statement regarding the incident.
Foxconn is the largest producer of iPhones for the U.S. technology giant Apple and is one of the largest employers globally, with significant manufacturing operations in China.
Taiwanese officials have raised concerns that the detentions may reflect an “abuse of power” by Chinese police and indicated that such actions undermine the confidence of businesses operating in China.
A spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that they were not aware of the situation.
In October of the previous year, Chinese tax and land authorities initiated an investigation into Foxconn. This occurred while the company’s founder, Terry Gou, was running as an independent candidate in Taiwan’s presidential election.
Taiwan has advised its citizens to “avoid non-essential travel” to mainland China, as well as to Hong Kong and Macau, following the release of guidelines by China in June that outlined criminal penalties for individuals Beijing labels as staunch “Taiwan independence” separatists.
Foxconn’s facility in Zhengzhou is known as the world’s largest iPhone factory, often referred to as “iPhone City.”
Despite a long-standing geopolitical divide between Beijing and Taipei, Foxconn is among several Taiwanese companies that have established factories in China.
Beijing views Taiwan as a breakaway province that it intends to reunify with the mainland, potentially using force to achieve this goal.
However, many Taiwanese see themselves as part of a separate nation, with a significant number supporting the current status quo—neither formally declaring independence from China nor pursuing unification.