TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Vanessa Miles (王雯), a 45-year-old Australian woman, landed in Taiwan on Monday (July 2) with a singular mission: to find the birth mother she never knew. Wang is one of dozens of infants trafficked to Australia in the 1980s by the infamous Chu Li-ching (褚麗卿) baby-selling operation, a case that shocked Taiwan decades ago. Taking concrete steps toward reunification, Wang submitted a DNA sample to Taiwan's Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB, 刑事局), the island's national investigative authority, on Wednesday to potentially match with biological relatives.
The revelation of her true origins came just over two months ago when Wang discovered her connection to the trafficking network, prompting her journey across hemispheres with nothing more than a single infant photograph as tangible evidence of her Taiwanese beginnings. According to information she has gathered, Wang believes her birth date is Feb. 10, 1980, and records show her adoption was formalized in Australia barely three months later on May 14. Through her preliminary research, Wang has developed a theory that her birth mother might be a woman named Wang Li-mei (王麗梅).
Wang has long understood her adoptive status, having recognized the physical differences between herself and her Australian parents from an early age. The distinctive contrast in skin tone made her adoption apparent throughout her childhood. Now as an adult, she articulates a profound yearning to connect with her biological mother, emphasizing her wish to create an opportunity for mutual recognition and relationship-building. Wang has leveraged media coverage of her search, hoping the publicity might reach her birth mother and encourage her to make contact.
Authorities have confirmed that one potential birth mother has already reached out following media coverage of Wang's arrival. This development has bolstered Wang's optimism that additional women might recognize her story and come forward. During interviews, Wang has highlighted a distinctive birthmark on her left hip as a potential identifying characteristic that her birth mother might remember. The Chu Li-ching trafficking operation, according to historical records, sold at least 63 Taiwanese babies to international adoptive families between 1979 and 1982, with Wang's investigation into her own history eventually leading her to connect her adoption to this notorious network. ◼