Taiwan cabinet urges citizens to reconsider travel to China amidst legal threats

The Taiwan Cabinet has advised its citizens to reconsider travel to China, Hong Kong, and Macau, and those currently in the country should remain vigilant about their safety after raising the travel alerts of these destinations to the second-highest orange alert.

This announcement was made during a press conference on Thursday (27 June).

The advisory follows China’s recent declaration of severe punishments, including prison sentences, detention, and the death penalty, targeting individuals labelled as “Taiwan independence die-hards.”

Beijing announced that it will conduct trials in absentia for those accused of denying China’s claim over Taiwan or promoting Taiwan’s international participation.

In response, Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) firmly stated, “The Beijing authorities have no judicial jurisdiction over Taiwan, and the CCP’s so-called laws and regulations have no binding force on the people of Taiwan.”

The MAC emphasized that Taiwanese citizens enjoy “inalienable freedoms” such as democracy and constitutional rights.

Cabinet spokesperson Chen Shi-kai expressed concerns about the lack of clarity and the overly broad nature of these legal procedures, as reported by Central News Agency.

He noted that these actions could provoke cross-strait confrontations and negatively impact exchanges and interactions between Taiwan and China. Chen added that the MAC will provide further details on specific travel advisories in due course.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government strongly condemned Taiwan’s advisory, accusing Taiwan authorities of political manoeuvring and spreading false information.

The HKSAR Government criticized Taiwan for allegedly exaggerating the risks of travelling to Hong Kong following the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law (NSL) and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance (SNSO).

A spokesperson for the HKSAR Government stated, “It is the constitutional duty of the HKSAR to safeguard national security. Taiwan authorities have turned a blind eye to the facts, made exaggerated remarks, and maliciously smeared and demonized the NSL and the SNSO, completely unmasking their double standards.”

The spokesperson assured that the legal framework for safeguarding national security in Hong Kong complies with international human rights standards, protecting freedoms of speech, press, assembly, and other civil liberties. He reiterated that the laws target only a small minority engage in activities endangering national security and do not affect ordinary travellers, including those from Taiwan.

The HKSAR Government called on Taiwan authorities to cease their criticisms of the NSL and SNSO, describing their actions as politically motivated and destined to fail.