The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday urged Taiwanese to be aware of their safety when traveling abroad, especially in countries that are friendly to China.
China in June last year issued 22 guidelines that allow its courts to try in absentia and sentence to death so-called “diehard” Taiwanese independence activists, even though Chinese courts have no jurisdiction in Taiwan.
Late last month, a senior Chinese official gave closed-door instructions to state security units to implement the guidelines in countries friendly to China, a government memo and a senior Taiwan security official said, based on information gathered by Taiwan’s intelligence agency.
Photo: Reuters
The instruction was given during a two-day meeting on Taiwan that began on Tuesday last week, the memo said, citing Taiwan’s intelligence.
The meeting was led by Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Chairman Wang Huning (王滬寧), who is part of the Communist Party’s elite Politburo Standing Committee and one of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) closest advisers, the memo said.
In the meeting, Beijing’s embassies and overseas police stations in countries with “a high degree of trust” with China were asked to implement the guidelines by targeting Taiwanese tourists, students and residents, the memo said.
China’s government has previously denied maintaining overseas police stations, but has said there are volunteer-run centers outside China that help Chinese renew documents and offer other services.
The Taiwanese official said Taiwan security agencies have been looking at whether to raise the alert level for travel to certain countries for Taiwanese.
Taiwanese in Cambodia, Laos and some unspecified African nations could risk being detained in for investigation on suspicion of backing independence, the official said, citing Taiwan’s assessment of the development and speaking on condition of anonymity.
“They might be taken for questioning by the local or Chinese police there, at least to psychologically intimidate them,” the official said.
The foreign ministries in Cambodia and Laos did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Taiwan has concluded that some countries, including some in Southeast Asia, have declined to cooperate with China’s request, the official said.
In response to media queries, MOFA yesterday said that it has instructed embassies and overseas offices to evaluate local risks.
It would also step up efforts to remind the public to be aware of their safety.
MOFA said Beijing has been waging legal and cognitive warfare, and implementing “gray zone” tactics to coerce and threaten Taiwan.
Its attempts to cage Taiwan’s democracy and freedom with the guidelines and punish Taiwanese independence activists have raised concerns from the global community and elicited strong criticism, MOFA said.
Taiwan in June last year raised its travel warning for China, Hong Kong and Macau from “yellow” to “orange” following the release of the 22 guidelines.
The travel alert for Taiwanese traveling to Cambodia and Laos is “orange,” its second-highest, advising against nonessential trips due to scam centers, which detain and traffic Chinese speakers to work in them.
Additional reporting by CNA
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