China's Taiwan Affairs Office spokeswoman Zhu Fenglian has not appeared in public for three weeks, fueling rumors she has been detained — a sign of possible turmoil inside Beijing's Taiwan policy apparatus.

• Zhu last hosted a regular press briefing on August 19 and has not been seen since.
• Online reports claim she was taken into custody that evening over an affair and large bribes, though Beijing has said nothing.
• Her usual rotation slot has been filled by colleagues Zhang Han and Chen Binhua for three straight weeks.
• The office moved to weekly briefings last October and added new spokespeople, making the gap in her rotation easier to spot.
• Taiwan watchers call the absence strange but note China's opacity makes the rumors impossible to confirm.

Outlook: If Zhu misses next Wednesday's briefing, a fourth straight absence would lend real weight to the detention rumors.