Taiwan raised its travel warning for mainland China on Thursday, urging its citizens to avoid all but essential travel to the country, after Beijing made clear it would impose punitive measures, including the death penalty in extreme cases, on what it called “stubborn supporters of Taiwanese independence.”
China considers Taiwan, a democratically governed island of 23 million people about 100 miles off the mainland coast, its own territory. China demands that Taiwan eventually accept unification and has long condemned Taiwanese who oppose Chinese claims to the island.
Last week, China stepped up the pressure by issuing Legal guidance The measures come amid rising tensions between the U.S.-backed island and China. Oath New President Lai Ching-te has vowed to uphold Taiwan’s democracy, but has been condemned by Beijing.
New rules adopted by China allow the death penalty for what it calls extremely serious cases of Taiwanese separatism, but do not specify what actions might constitute serious crimes.
exist replyTaiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, which oversees mainland policy, said Beijing’s “persistence in its stance toward Taiwan” increased the personal safety risks for Taiwanese nationals traveling to mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau.
New President Lai Ching-te criticized the new rules. He said: “China has no right to sanction Taiwanese people because of their political views, nor does it have the right to conduct cross-border prosecutions.” Expressed on social media Earlier this week. “Democracy is not a crime; despotism is the real evil.”
Lai called for dialogue with China but stopped short of calling for Taiwanese independence, saying he wanted to maintain the status quo and allow Taiwan to enjoy autonomy.
Beijing, however, has denounced Jimmy Lai, calling him a separatist and welcoming his new government with inflammatory rhetoric and a series of military exercises near Taiwan.
Despite Beijing’s escalating confrontation and growing military power, many Taiwanese appear to remain optimistic. Recent polls The survey showed most people on the island believed the United States would intervene if China invaded, but some questioned whether Washington and their own governments were unnecessarily angering Beijing.
Beijing has a history of detaining people with ties to Taiwan.
In 2023, a Chinese citizen living in Taiwan, Li YanheIn 2022, democracy advocate Lee Ming-che was released after serving his sentence after being charged with endangering national security for publishing books critical of the Chinese Communist Party. 5 years He is being held in a Chinese prison on suspicion of subverting the government.
A Generation Gap Taiwanese have also begun to spend less on tourism, straining relations with China. A 2023 poll showed that tourists over 40 were far more likely to go to China than younger tourists, who were more likely to go to Japan.
