MAC official warns of journey dangers to China amid new guidelines

Taipei, Sept. 14 (CNA) Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) and specialists warned on Monday of the potential dangers of touring to China as new entry and exit guidelines take impact, however Taiwan will not be planning to boost its journey alert within the face of these dangers in the mean time.

MAC deputy head Shen Yu-chung (沈有忠) described the brand new laws as doubtlessly posing dangers to info, enterprise and private safety, and he urged individuals to fastidiously assess the dangers and keep away from pointless journey to China.

The 5 teams that will face heightened dangers, he stated, are Taiwanese businesspeople in China, executives of Taiwanese corporations, employees within the semiconductor and different high-tech sectors, frontline civil servants, and members of sure spiritual teams.

Shen issued the warning forward of a discussion board in Taipei on the brand new guidelines, organized by the Asia-Pacific Elite Interchange Association (APEIA).

He suggested individuals in these teams to register their journeys to China as an extra security precaution, however he stated the MAC will not be mulling elevating its present “orange” journey alert degree for China — that means avoiding non-essential journey — to the best “red” alert.

At the discussion board, Shen stated the brand new guidelines authorize Chinese customs officers and visa authorities to require individuals getting into or leaving the nation to reveal information and digital info, together with information saved on cellphones and laptops.

This might enhance the chance of commerce secrets and techniques or private political opinions being uncovered, he stated.

The guidelines additionally stipulate that individuals who violate export restrictions or know-how administration laws, or who’re deemed to pose a menace to the safety of Chinese industries or applied sciences, might be barred from leaving China, Shen stated.

Also below the brand new guidelines, Chinese authorities shouldn’t have to tell individuals topic to exit restrictions of the restriction itself, its causes or authorized foundation, or obtainable authorized treatments, Shen stated.

As a consequence, he warned, people could solely grow to be conscious of the restriction when they’re getting ready to depart the nation, Shen stated.

The provisions could also be associated to China’s competitors within the high-tech and semiconductor sectors with the United States in addition to Beijing’s efforts to manage the outflow of expertise, Shen advised.

Hsu Kai-chieh (許凱傑), a choose within the Taipei District Court’s National Security Division, stated the brand new laws are based mostly on China’s Exit and Entry Administration Law, which was handed in 2012 and contains Taiwanese nationals in its definition of “Chinese citizens.”

This means Taiwanese nationals are “without a doubt” topic to the laws, Hsu stated.

He famous that comparable provisions are already in place, citing the 2023 modification to China’s Counter-Espionage Law, which permits international nationals suspected of espionage to be restricted from leaving the nation.

The new laws are layered on prime of present measures, with an emphasis on export controls and know-how restrictions, Hsu stated.

Meanwhile, APEIA Secretary-General Arthur Wang (王智盛) stated it could be tough to find out what Chinese authorities see as “involving national security.”

Such provisions might doubtlessly embody feedback by pals or relations expressing assist for Taiwan, in addition to participation in related worldwide organizations or spiritual teams, he stated.

On Sept. 2, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Zhang Han (張晗) stated the brand new laws had been meant to manage entry and exit, shield the authorized rights of customs personnel, and “protect national sovereignty, safety and developmental benefits.”

They are additionally meant to create “a better legal environment for the people of Taiwan,” Zhang stated.