Beijing’s widened anti-espionage legislation is likely to pose heightened risks to Taiwanese visiting or transiting through China, National Security Bureau Director-General Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) said yesterday.
The amended Counterespionage Law, which was passed by the Chinese National People’s Congress on Wednesday last week and is to take effect in July, would have an impact on the safety of Taiwanese in China, Tsai told lawmakers at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei.
The legislation broadens the definition of spying to encompass being affiliated with “surrogates” of foreign intelligence agencies, “Internet-based espionage” and “activities that affect China’s economic interests,” he said.
Photo: CNA
These developments are worrying for Taiwanese entrepreneurs, journalists and human rights advocates visiting or transiting through China, and could cause cross-strait relations to deteriorate, Tsai said.
Former military service members, civil servants, and former and current members of civic groups should be aware that their smartphones or other electronic devices could be searched by Chinese customs officials for incriminating images or texts, he said.
People could face legal repercussions for things they have done or said outside of China’s jurisdiction, he told legislators.
Beijing’s strategy of facilitating unification through cross-strait exchanges conflicts with its efforts to retain its hold on power by regulating interactions among Chinese, which would make dealing with China more fraught for Taiwanese, he said.
An official familiar with the matter said that the amended law’s definition of spying can include speaking negatively about China on the Internet, conducting a public opinion survey, or taking cellphone pictures of rare earth mining sites.
Being overly solicitous to representatives of China’s state-owned enterprises, hiring former employees of Chinese businesses, visiting Xinjiang or Tibet, or drawing a map for personal use could lead to criminal charges, the official said on condition of anonymity.
Taiwanese business owners could face false accusations of spying from their competitors, they added.
China’s counterespionage act — which appeared to have been written to target foreign nationals — empowers authorities to define almost any undesirable activity as spying, National Cheng Kung University political science professor Hung Chin-fu (洪敬富) said.
The legislation is likely to have far-reaching consequences for China, including scaring off potential investors and sparking a capital flight from the country, he added.
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College