Taipei, Oct. 19 -- Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) has cautioned followers of the I-Kuan Tao religion against visiting China, citing a disturbing trend of arrests targeting Taiwanese believers under China's intensifying control of religious expression, Focus Taiwan reported.

According to Focus Taiwan, SEF Secretary-General Luo Wen-jia revealed during a press briefing in Taipei that since 2019, at least 16 Taiwanese nationals have been detained in China for religious reasons. Among them, 11 were members of I-Kuan Tao, a Taoist-based faith emphasising harmony and virtue, while the rest were linked to Christian or Unification Church communities.

Luo stated that one I-Kuan Tao adherent detained in late 2019 has safely returned to...