Taiwan advises people to avoid travelling to Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau

Taiwan Mainland Affairs Council on Thursday raised the travel alert for Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau to “orange” level and advised people to avoid non-essential travelling. The Council claimed that because the Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau have continued to amend or issue legal documents relating to national security in recent years, there are reported cases in which Taiwanese travelling to mainland China have been subjected to unlawful detention, retention and interrogation, as the Straits Exchange Foundation deputy secretary general Tsai Meng-chun suggested.

One week ago, China published new judicial guidelines to introduce the death penalty for “particularly serious” cases involving supporters of Taiwanese independence, which included severe punishments for activities deemed as fragmenting the country or inciting secession. According to the Council, this poses a serious threat to the personal safety of Taiwanese travelling to mainland areas. Hence, it strongly recommended that Taiwan people should not enter China mainland, Hong Kong and Macau unless it is necessary, and should avoid discussing sensitive issues, photographing military sites, or carrying books on politics, history and religion.

Zhu Fenglian, spokesman of Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council of China, replied on Friday that the judicial documents previously issued are neither targeted at nor related to the general public of Taiwan since the purpose is only to punish a small number of “recalcitrant elements” who commit the offenses of secession and incitement to secession. Zhu pointed out that the Taiwan government, however, has maliciously discredited the relevant documents, and the so-called travel warnings serve political purposes. In addition, this brutal obstruction of travel to the Mainland is not in line with public opinion in Taiwan, which not only seriously infringes on the legitimate rights and interests of Taiwanese but also undermines the development of cross-strait relations.

In the end, Zhu reiterated that people need not have any worries about travelling to China and that the government of Mainland would protect the legitimate rights and interests of Taiwan compatriots in accordance with the law. “People can come and go as they please,” Zhu stressed.

China surrounded Taiwan last month with navy vessels and aircraft as part of two days of military procedures, which functioned as a warning against Taiwan independence groups working with outside forces. Besides, the drills came three days after Lai Ching-te became the President of Taiwan, indicating the dissatisfaction from Beijing.