Taipei () — A Taiwanese soldier missing on an island off the Chinese coast has been found in mainland China, the head of Taiwan’s China policy agency said Monday.
The soldier, surnamed Chen, was reported missing on Erdan Island after taking roll this Thursday morning, the Taiwanese Ministry of Defense said in a statement on Thursday afternoon. The ministry said it has created a special task force to track down the soldier and identify the causes.
Erdan Island, part of the Taiwan-controlled Kinmen Islands, lies less than 5 kilometers from the Chinese city of Xiamen, according to Taiwan’s official Central News Agency.
On Monday, Chiu Tai-san, minister of Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, stated that China has notified Taiwan that the soldier is currently in mainland China.
Chiu said both sides have communication channels to handle emergency situations and fight crime. “The defense ministry and the coast guard administration are actively grasping the progress and the relevant situation,” Chiu said, adding that the defense ministry has existing mechanisms to determine whether or not the soldier should be identified as a deserter.
has contacted Taiwan’s Defense Ministry for comment.
