Taiwanese Nurse Describes Intense Interrogation During Tibet Visit

By Tenzin Chokyi

DHARAMSALA, 14 Oct:  A Taiwanese nurse who travelled to Tibet said Chinese state security personnel questioned him about his military background, political views and personal history, according to Taiwanese media reports, offering a glimpse into the security scrutiny faced by visitors to Tibet under Chinese rule.

The nurse, identified by his surname Lin, recounted the experience in a post on Threads that later went viral. In an interview with Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA), he said three of the eight Taiwanese members of his tour group were questioned separately by Chinese authorities.

Lin, another registered nurse and an aircraft maintenance technician were interviewed separately. Lin was questioned on the balcony of an empty hotel room shortly after checking in. Three Chinese officials were present, one of whom later identified himself as a state security officer, the Taipei Times reported.

Lin said the officials questioned him about his family background, employment, military service and political affiliations. Because he had previously worked at two public hospitals, they also asked whether he had treated military personnel or had contact with Taipei City Government officials.

The questioning extended to cross-strait relations and international affairs. According to the Taipei Times, the officers asked Lin about his political party affiliation, Taiwan’s proposed NT$10,000 cash payment, his overseas travel and his views on the United States. They also asked whether he would support unification with China in exchange for a higher salary and whether he knew he could obtain Chinese nationality.

Lin said the officials attempted to maintain a relaxed atmosphere and repeatedly emphasised that he had not been detained. However, when asked to identify China’s shortcomings, he said China lacked freedom compared with Taiwan, a response that appeared to displease the interviewers, he told CNA.

“The officers asked a lot of unimportant questions, but most of them seemed to be either roundabout ways to probe my views, or somehow influence my way of thinking,” Lin said, according to the Taipei Times.

He said he had initially assumed he would be safe because he rarely posted his political views online. The experience and the widespread attention his social media account received have since made him reluctant to visit China or Tibet again in the foreseeable future.

The Taipei Times also reported that Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council said late last month that Chinese state security had interviewed a Taiwanese nurse in Tibet about a month earlier, citing the individual’s previous employment at a military hospital.

The account comes amid longstanding concerns over China’s extensive security controls in occupied Tibet, where authorities closely monitor political expression and restrict access to sensitive areas. The circumstances surrounding Lin’s questioning, as described by Taiwanese media, highlight the scrutiny that visitors can encounter while travelling in the region.