Taiwan raises travel risk warnings for mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau

The updated guidelines raise the warnings for the mainland and two special administrative readings from yellow – for places “requiring special attention” – to orange, the second highest level in the four-tier system.

Residents are now warned to avoid “ unnecessary travel”, the same warnings in force for places such as Cambodia, Myanmar and Lebanon.

The council said that if residents “really have a need” to travel to the other side of the Taiwan Strait, they should “avoid getting involved in or discussing sensitive issues and affairs, photographing ports, airports, military exercise venues, and carrying books on politics, history, religion”.

Beijing’s new guidelines – effective from last Friday – said the police and legal system must “severely punish Taiwan independence diehards for splitting the country and inciting secession crimes …. and resolutely defend national sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity”.

Cases deemed to have “severely endangered the state and the people” could warrant the death penalty in mainland China, while those involved in separatist activities can be jailed for between 10 years to life.

Beijing spokesman insisted the rules would only target a “very few diehard separatists” and not the “Taiwan public”.

Taipei issued another statement earlier this month asking residents to exercise increased caution when travelling to Hong Kong after some tourists reported being stopped and searched by local police for no apparent reason.

Beijing has branded Taiwan’s new leader William Lai Ching-te as an “obstinate separatist” and has been angered by comments he has made since taking office last month.

He said the Republic of China, Taiwan’s official name, and the People’s Republic of China are “not subordinate to each other” in his inauguration speech and repeated the comments at a ceremony to mark the 100th anniversary of the Huangpu Military Academy.

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Furious mainland China slams Taiwanese leader’s ‘blatant’ call for independence

Furious mainland China slams Taiwanese leader’s ‘blatant’ call for independence

On Thursday the mainland defence ministry said Lai, “will surely be judged by history and severely punished by law” for attempting to “tamper with history and split the country”.

Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China and has never renounced the use of force to bring it under its control.

Most countries do not recognise the island as independent, but its main international backer the United States opposes any attempt to take it by force and is legally bound to supply Taiwan with weapons to defend itself.