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.
Authorities have detained three former Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TMSC, 台積電) employees on suspicion of compromising classified technology used in making 2-nanometer chips, the Taiwan High Prosecutors’ Office said yesterday. Prosecutors are holding a former TSMC engineer surnamed Chen (陳) and two recently sacked TSMC engineers, including one person surnamed Wu (吳) in detention with restricted communication, following an investigation launched on July 25, a statement said. The announcement came a day after Nikkei Asia reported on the technology theft in an exclusive story, saying TSMC had fired two workers for contravening data rules on advanced chipmaking technology. Two-nanometer wafers are the most
DEFENSE: The first set of three NASAMS that were previously purchased is expected to be delivered by the end of this year and deployed near the capital, sources said Taiwan plans to procure 28 more sets of M-142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), as well as nine additional sets of National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), military sources said yesterday. Taiwan had previously purchased 29 HIMARS launchers from the US and received the first 11 last year. Once the planned purchases are completed and delivered, Taiwan would have 57 sets of HIMARS. The army has also increased the number of MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) purchased from 64 to 84, the sources added. Each HIMARS launch pod can carry six Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, capable of
CHINA’s BULLYING: The former British prime minister said that he believes ‘Taiwan can and will’ protect its freedom and democracy, as its people are lovers of liberty Former British prime minister Boris Johnson yesterday said Western nations should have the courage to stand with and deepen their economic partnerships with Taiwan in the face of China’s intensified pressure. He made the remarks at the ninth Ketagalan Forum: 2025 Indo-Pacific Security Dialogue hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Prospect Foundation in Taipei. Johnson, who is visiting Taiwan for the first time, said he had seen Taiwan’s coastline on a screen on his indoor bicycle, but wanted to learn more about the nation, including its artificial intelligence (AI) development, the key technology of the 21st century. Calling himself an
South Korea yesterday said that it was removing loudspeakers used to blare K-pop and news reports to North Korea, as the new administration in Seoul tries to ease tensions with its bellicose neighbor. The nations, still technically at war, had already halted propaganda broadcasts along the demilitarized zone, Seoul’s military said in June after the election of South Korean President Lee Jae-myung. It said in June that Pyongyang stopped transmitting bizarre, unsettling noises along the border that had become a major nuisance for South Korean residents, a day after South Korea’s loudspeakers fell silent. “Starting today, the military has begun removing the loudspeakers,”
RSS