Taiwanese who are traveling to China for religious, business or other non-political purposes can all be interrogated by Chinese national security officers due to new national security laws, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said in a recent report.
Starting next month, Taiwanese could also be asked to hand over their mobile phones and electronic devices for national security inspections when visiting China, the council said.
Beijing has introduced a series of laws that were designed to impose heavier sanctions on people who are considered enemies of the state.
Photo: Reuters
An amendment to China’s Anti-Espionage Law, which took effect in July last year, expanded the definition of “espionage,” while a new law on guarding state secrets, which was enacted last month, allows the Chinese government to arrest people who are accused of leaking state secrets without following legal procedures.
From next month, municipal-level national security agencies are authorized to issue inspection notices for electronic devices owned by individuals and organizations, while national security officers are allowed to seize electronic devices if the devices contain evidence indicating possible contraventions of national security regulations and that further investigation is required.
Also starting next month, Chinese law enforcement officers who properly identify themselves as police or investigators can search a person’s items if they suspect they are a threat to national security.
They can also secure a search warrant issued by a municipal-level national security agency to search individuals, their personal belongings and facilities with which they are affiliated. People under investigation for national security issues can be asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement if necessary.
Information gathered by the MAC showed that Taiwanese of any profession — college professors, borough wardens, tourists, business personnel or even people traveling for religious purposes — might experience improper treatment and could risk “losing their personal freedom” when visiting China.
In one case, a borough warden who used to be a police officer was asked by Chinese national security personnel to hand over their mobile phone for inspection at the hotel they were staying at, the MAC said, adding that they backed up the phone records as proof.
Another case involved a Taiwanese who had compared the political systems in Taiwan and China online and praised Taiwan for being a democratic and free country.
The person was briefly detained by Chinese customs officers and asked what the purpose of their visit to China was, the MAC said.
Taiwanese doing business in China are not subject to more lenient scrutiny from national security personnel either, the council said.
A Taiwanese employee working for a Taiwanese firm in China was warned not to make any more comments about China’s high youth unemployment rate or economic downturn after being questioned by security personnel for hours, the MAC said.
A Taiwanese working as a chief executive in the Chinese branch of a Taiwanese firm was asked about their political leanings upon arrival, while the chairperson of a private association was interrogated about the association’s operations, the council said.
Meanwhile, an adherent of Yiguandao, which is classified by Beijing as a salvationist religious sect, is still being detained for allegedly breaking the law by bringing books promoting vegetarian food to China, it said.
Some managers of Taiwanese temples reported that they had been asked to provide their personal information and reveal what political parties they supported upon arriving in China, the MAC said.
Some Taiwanese teaching at Chinese universities were asked about their political leanings and who they voted for in the presidential election in January, and Chinese national security officers inspected their laptops and mobile phones.
Some political party members have even been detained until they provide details of how their parties operate, the MAC said.
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) yesterday said it had deployed patrol vessels to expel a China Coast Guard ship and a Chinese fishing boat near Pratas Island (Dongsha Island, 東沙群島) in the South China Sea. The China Coast Guard vessel was 28 nautical miles (52km) northeast of Pratas at 6:15am on Thursday, approaching the island’s restricted waters, which extend 24 nautical miles from its shoreline, the CGA’s Dongsha-Nansha Branch said in a statement. The Tainan, a 2,000-tonne cutter, was deployed by the CGA to shadow the Chinese ship, which left the area at 2:39pm on Friday, the statement said. At 6:31pm on Friday,
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, would pose a steep challenge to Taiwan’s ability to defend itself against a full-scale invasion, a defense expert said yesterday. Institute of National Defense and Security Research analyst Chieh Chung (揭仲) made the comment hours after the PLAN confirmed the carrier recently passed through the Taiwan Strait to conduct “scientific research tests and training missions” in the South China Sea. China has two carriers in operation — the Liaoning and the Shandong — with the Fujian undergoing sea trials. Although the PLAN needs time to train the Fujian’s air wing and
STRIKE: Some travel agencies in Taiwan said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group tours to the country were proceeding as planned A planned strike by airport personnel in South Korea has not affected group tours to the country from Taiwan, travel agencies said yesterday. They added that they were closely monitoring the situation. Personnel at 15 airports, including Seoul’s Incheon and Gimpo airports, are to go on strike. They announced at a news conference on Tuesday that the strike would begin on Friday next week and continue until the Mid-Autumn Festival next month. Some travel agencies in Taiwan, including Cola Tour, Lion Travel, SET Tour and ezTravel, said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group
RSS