MAC Press Release No. 028
1. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) recently passed the Foreign Relations Law and amended the Anti-Espionage Law, both of which took effect on July 1 of this year (2023). Moreover, there have been several incidents involving unfriendly treatment, unreasonable interrogation, illegal detention, immediate deportation, and unlawful arrest and trial of Taiwanese people traveling to mainland China. There have also been frequent reports of certain individuals being arrested and prosecuted by the Hong Kong and Macao authorities for past statements and actions since the implementation of National Security Laws in the two regions. Based on a comprehensive assessment of these developments, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) determined that the personal safety of Taiwanese people remains at risk when traveling to mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macao. Consequently, the MAC has maintained a yellow alert previously issued due to the COVID-19 pandemic (urging people to be especially aware of travel safety and reconsider visit plans), an equivalent of the Level 3 travel advisory (Reconsider travel) recently updated by the United States (US) Department of State. The MAC has also published new warnings on its website strongly urging Taiwanese travelers to carefully consider potential risks to their personal safety when visiting mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macao.
2. Given the CCP’s amendment of the Anti-Espionage Law on April 26 this year and multiple cases of certain individuals being arrested and prosecuted in Hong Kong for past statements and actions, the MAC has issued warnings at its press conferences for four times between May and the end of June. In addition, the MAC has sent reminders through social media platforms while collecting multiple examples of actions that may raise national security concerns in mainland China. All of these measures are aimed at urging Taiwanese people to carefully assess and heed risks to their personal safety before traveling to mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macao. The US Department of State has also observed instances of "arbitrary enforcement of local laws, exit bans and detention without due process of the law, and the broad discretion of the CCP authorities to detain and prosecute foreign nationals on charges of espionage." This prompted the US government to update its travel advisory for US citizens to “Level 3: Reconsider travel” on June 30.
3. The MAC’s travel alerts issued for mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macao over the years have always been based on comprehensive assessments and judgments that consider the local political situation, diseases, transportation, public safety, major natural disasters or accidents, and other factors that could affect the safety of Taiwanese people traveling to mainland China. The government attaches great importance to the issue of personal safety of Taiwanese people traveling overseas. The MAC urges Taiwanese people traveling to mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macao to make greater use of the “Online Registration System for Taiwanese Citizens Visiting Mainland China” and “Online Registration System for Taiwanese Citizens Visiting Hong Kong and Macao” to facilitate timely communication and assistance from the government. Individuals with emergencies can also call the Straits Exchange Foundation's Emergency Services Hotline at (02) 2533-9995 or the 24-hour emergency hotlines of the MAC's representative offices in Hong Kong (852-6143-9012) and Macao (853-6687-2557) to access relevant information and services.