TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan is considering raising the travel warning for countries with close ties to China as the risk of arbitrary arrests for suspicion of backing Taiwan independence could rise.
According to a government memo reviewed by Reuters and a senior official from Taiwan’s security department, a high-ranking Chinese official instructed national security units at a closed-door meeting late last month to implement Beijing's 22 guidelines on punishing Taiwan independence activists in countries friendly to China.
MOFA told Reuters China is attempting to use these guidelines to “shackle” Taiwan’s democracy and freedom. MOFA has instructed its overseas offices to monitor and evaluate related risks and will strengthen public awareness campaigns on travel safety.
The ministry told CNA that China is using legal and cognitive warfare and employing gray-zone tactics to coerce Taiwan. The ministry said China's attempts to enforce its guidelines on Taiwanese are drawing concern and condemnation from the international community.
The senior Taiwanese official said that countries considered higher risk include Cambodia, Laos, and certain African nations. The official said Taiwanese in these countries could be detained and investigated on suspicion of supporting Taiwanese independence.
The official told Reuters, “They might be taken for questioning by the local or Chinese police there, at least to psychologically intimidate them.”
The official said that Taiwan’s security agencies are considering elevating the travel warning levels for certain countries. The official added that Taiwan’s government assessment indicates that some countries, including certain Southeast Asian nations, have refused to cooperate with China’s requests.
The memo, citing Taiwanese intelligence analysis, indicated that this directive was introduced during a two-day CCP meeting on Taiwan that started on Feb. 25. According to the memo, the meeting was headed by Wang Huning (王滬寧), a member of the CCP Politburo Standing Committee and chair of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.
During the meeting, Beijing reportedly ordered diplomatic missions and overseas police stations in countries with “a high level of trust” in China to enforce the guidelines on Taiwanese tourists, students, and residents.
On June 21, 2024, the Taiwan Affairs Office released "22 Opinions" on actions “inciting secession” that included punishments such as the death penalty. The new guidelines “severely punish Taiwan independence die-hards for splitting the country and inciting secession crimes in accordance with the law, and resolutely defend national sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity," reported China's state-run Xinhua.
