Four employees of Taiwanese iPhone manufacturer Foxconn have been detained by Chinese police in what Taiwan has called “strange” circumstances.
The workers were arrested in Zhengzhou, Henan province, on charges of “breach of trust,” according to a statement from Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council.
Foxconn, which produces iPhones for Apple and is one of the world’s largest employers, has not yet commented on the arrests.
The Taiwanese authorities have suggested the detentions may be an “abuse of power” by Chinese officials, raising concerns about the business climate in China.
The incident follows an October 2023 investigation by Chinese tax and land authorities into Foxconn.
At that time, the company’s founder, Terry Gou, was running as an independent candidate in Taiwan’s presidential election.
In light of this, Taiwan has warned its citizens to “avoid non-essential travel” to mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau, after Beijing introduced new guidelines in June outlining criminal penalties for those deemed “Taiwan independence” separatists.
Foxconn’s massive facility in Zhengzhou, known as “iPhone City,” is the world’s largest iPhone factory. Many Taiwanese businesses, including Foxconn, have maintained operations in China for decades despite ongoing geopolitical tensions between the two nations.
