Frankfurt: Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) announced Thursday that they are investigating a case involving a Taiwanese woman who was mistakenly identified as a Chinese fugitive and detained for four hours at Frankfurt Airport.
According to Focus Taiwan, the incident occurred when book publisher Cheng Ting arrived at Frankfurt Airport on Monday for the Frankfurt Book Fair. She was stopped at passport control after an automated face identification check failed to verify her identity. Despite explaining that her appearance might have changed due to braces and dental surgeries, officials required further identification and questioned the authenticity of her passport.
Cheng reported that she was taken to a room for questioning and was denied the opportunity to contact diplomatic missions. Authorities compared her face to that of a wanted Chinese fugitive, and one officer accused her of using a fake passport because the number could not be verified. Throughout the ordeal, Cheng maintained that she was Taiwanese.
While examining Cheng’s phone, police discovered an Instagram story she had posted on her way to the questioning room, which they deemed unusual for a fugitive. They also found a membership card with an English signature that matched her passport, confirming her identity.
After a four-hour detention, Cheng was released. Police informed her that the incident would be treated “as if it never happened,” with no negative record. However, she was asked to sign “consent to restriction of freedom” waiver forms in multiple languages without a clear explanation of her rights.
Cheng expressed her frustration, stating, “I don’t know why it took so long — all they had to do was pick up the phone and call the Taiwanese representative’s office.”
At a Legislative hearing, Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung stated that Taiwan’s representative office in Frankfurt has been instructed to seek clarification from German authorities regarding the incident. Eric Huang, head of MOFA’s Department of European Affairs, confirmed that the representative office has reached out to Cheng to offer assistance.
