Due to the newly implemented Hong Kong national security legislation, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has drawn up a list of what it described as “high-risk groups,” cautioning them not to travel to Hong Kong.
People who support independence for Taiwan, Hong Kong, Tibet and Xinjiang; those who are critical of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the Hong Kong government and the “one country, two systems” concept; and those who donated to or voiced support for the Hong Kong anti-extradition bill movement are urged to refrain from visiting Hong Kong, the council said on its Web site.
It released two posts on the matter, one on Friday and the other yesterday.
Photo: Bloomberg
The National Security Law was passed by the Chinese National People’s Congress last month and took effect on June 30, defining and prohibiting acts of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces.
According to the council, the legislation is not limited to the territory of Hong Kong, its people, or aircraft and ships registered in Hong Kong, but is applicable worldwide, and the CCP is the sole entity that defines how it works.
The legislation aims to prevent any person or organization from separating lands claimed by China from China; rebelling and overthrowing the CCP, or the Hong Kong special administrative government, including to prevent the destruction of governmental facilities; commiting acts of terrorism against people, transportation, sources of water, power, broadcasting and Internet networks; and colluding with foreign nations or powers against the interest and safety of the nation, which includes preventing the enactment of policies and laws, and inciting hatred against the CCP and the Hong Kong special administrative government, the council said.
Any actions, such as liking Facebook posts, joining forums, forwarding posts or links, wearing apparel or holding flags, regardless of their directness or indirectness, or whether violence was used, are considered a breach of the legislation and could be punished by life imprisonment, the council said.
The government would be closely monitoring the situation in Hong Kong and would announce the results of its risk assessment at an appropriate time, the council said, adding that it has bolstered the capabilities of its branches in Hong Kong and Macau to provide assistance to Taiwanese in need.
The council urged Taiwanese to be cautious and be on high alert when traveling or transiting through Hong Kong, adding that individuals working or studying in Hong Kong should also be on high alert.
It urged those who are likely to be detained by the Chinese authorities to refrain from visiting, as they could very well become the next “Lee Ming-che (李明哲).”
Lee, a Taiwanese human rights advocate, went missing on March 19, 2017, after entering Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, from Macau. On Nov. 28 that year, Lee was found guilty of sedition and sentenced to five years in prison.
The council urged Taiwanese to fill in their details on its Web site if they must visit Hong Kong or Macau and call the MAC’s 24-hour emergency number in Hong Kong: 852-6143-9012, or Macau, 853-6687-2557 if they have problems.
Beijing’s continued provocations in the Taiwan Strait reveal its intention to unilaterally change the “status quo” in the area, the US Department of State said on Saturday, calling for a peaceful resolution to cross-strait issues. The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) reported that four China Coast Guard patrol vessels entered restricted and prohibited waters near Kinmen County on Friday and again on Saturday. A State Department spokesperson said that Washington was aware of the incidents, and urged all parties to exercise restraint and refrain from unilaterally changing the “status quo.” “Maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is in line with our [the
EXTENDED RANGE: Hsiung Sheng missiles, 100 of which might be deployed by the end of the year, could reach Chinese command posts and airport runways, a source said A NT$16.9 billion (US$534.93 million) project to upgrade the military’s missile defense systems would be completed this year, allowing the deployment of at least 100 long-range Hsiung Sheng missiles and providing more deterrence against China, military sources said on Saturday. Hsiung Sheng missiles are an extended-range version of the Hsiung Feng IIE (HF-2E) surface-to-surface cruise missile, and are believed to have a range of up to 1,200km, which would allow them to hit targets well inside China. They went into mass production in 2022, the sources said. The project is part of a special budget for the Ministry of National Defense aimed at
READY TO WORK: Taiwan is eager to cooperate and is hopeful that like-minded states will continue to advocate for its inclusion in regional organizations, Lai said Maintaining the “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait, and peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region must be a top priority, president-elect William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday after meeting with a delegation of US academics. Leaders of the G7, US President Joe Biden and other international heads of state have voiced concerns about the situation in the Strait, as stability in the region is necessary for a safe, peaceful and prosperous world, Lai said. The vice president, who is to be inaugurated in May, welcomed the delegation and thanked them for their support for Taiwan and issues concerning the Strait. The international community
COOPERATION: Two crewmembers from a Chinese fishing boat that sank off Kinmen were rescued, two were found dead and another two were still missing at press time The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) was yesterday working with Chinese rescuers to find two missing crewmembers from a Chinese fishing boat that sank southwest of Kinmen County yesterday, killing two crew. The joint operation managed to rescue two of the boat’s six crewmembers, but two were already dead when they were pulled from the water, the agency said in a statement. Rescuers are still searching for two others from the Min Long Yu 61222, a boat registered in China’s Fujian Province that capsized and sank 1.03 nautical miles (1.9km) southwest of Dongding Island (東碇), it added. CGA Director-General Chou Mei-wu (周美伍) told a