Taiwan's government on Thursday urged its citizens to avoid “unnecessary travel” to China after Beijing said “hardline” supporters of Taiwan independence could face the death penalty.
China claims democratic Taiwan as part of its territory and refuses to rule out using force to bring the self-ruled island under its control.
Beijing last week issued judicial guidelines on criminal punishment for Taiwan independence supporters, including the death penalty for “particularly serious” cases involving “staunch” independence supporters, according to state media.
As a result, Taiwan's top China policy body, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), raised its travel alert level to the second-highest level of “orange” on Thursday.
“After a comprehensive assessment, the government judges it is necessary to raise the travel alert level to mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau and advises citizens to avoid non-essential travel,” said Leung Man-jie, spokesman for the Hong Kong and Macau Administration.
Leung advised Taiwanese people who must go to China not to discuss sensitive issues, photograph military installations, airports or ports, or “carry books related to politics, history or religion.”
Beijing has not held top-level talks with Taipei since 2016 and has denounced Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te as a “dangerous separatist.”
Lai said Monday that China “has no right to punish” Taiwanese people for their opinions and claims.
The United States has also criticized Beijing's death penalty guidelines, with the State Department condemning “escalatory and destabilizing language and actions by Chinese authorities.”
The Chinese government has stepped up pressure on Taiwan in recent years, conducting military drills around the island since Lai took office last month.
aw/rsc
