Taiwan considers raising travel warnings to countries with close China ties over risks of arbitrary arrests for backing Taiwan independence

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/2137462

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According to a [Chinese] government memo [...], a high-ranking Chinese official instructed national security units at a closed-door meeting late last month to implement Beijing's 22 guidelines on punishing Taiwan independence activists in countries friendly to China.

[Taiwan says] China is attempting to use these guidelines to “shackle” Taiwan’s democracy and freedom. [Taiwan] has instructed its overseas offices to monitor and evaluate related risks and will strengthen public awareness campaigns on travel safety.

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The senior Taiwanese official said that countries considered higher risk include Cambodia, Laos, and certain African nations. The official said Taiwanese in these countries could be detained and investigated on suspicion of supporting Taiwanese independence.

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The official added that Taiwan’s government assessment indicates that some countries, including certain Southeast Asian nations, have refused to cooperate with China’s requests.

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The memo, citing Taiwanese intelligence analysis, indicated that this directive was introduced during a two-day CCP meeting on Taiwan that started on Feb. 25. According to the memo, the meeting was headed by Wang Huning (王滬寧), a member of the CCP Politburo Standing Committee and chair of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

During the meeting, Beijing reportedly ordered diplomatic missions and overseas police stations in countries with “a high level of trust” in China to enforce the guidelines on Taiwanese tourists, students, and residents.

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