A Radio Free Asia (RFA) report suggested that the number of “missing” foreign nationals has grown in China in recent years. It has been observed that many were later discovered in detention by the authorities, which prompted a rights organization to publish a guide for families facing similar circumstances.

According to Safeguard Defenders, a rights group based in Spain, as referenced by RFA, claimed in its report that the detention of individuals such as US citizens, Taiwanese citizens, Hong Kong residents, Japanese nationals, and Australians has garnered international attention, but these cases represent only a fraction of the problem. 

“Since Xi Jinping assumed leadership in 2012, the nation has gradually become more closed off to outsiders,” the organization noted in its newly released guide for families of foreigners who have gone missing in China, as quoted by RFA.

“It has also grown bolder in arresting foreigners for politically charged reasons, including instances of hostage diplomacy, where Beijing seeks to exert pressure or impose sanctions on a foreign government,” the handbook stated as reported by RFA.

Such arrests and disappearances can leave family members “feeling powerless in the face of the country’s obscure legal system,” it explained, providing a range of practical advice for those coping with a loved one’s disappearance in China, as cited by RFA.

“This handbook offers practical insights and accurately reflects the reality in China, including the lack of rule of law or an independent judicial system,” Safeguard Defenders Advocacy Director Laura Harth told RFA.

Enghebatu Togochog, who leads the Southern Mongolian Human Rights Information Center based in New York, expressed that Chinese state security officials have little hesitation in detaining and questioning foreign nationals, according to RFA.

“When the Chinese authorities decide to imprison you, no guidance or instructional manual can prevent them from carrying out that decision,” he remarked as quoted by RFA.