Taiwanese could risk being extradited to China when traveling in countries with close ties to Beijing, Taiwan Association of University Professors deputy chairman Chen Li-fu (陳俐甫) said on Friday.
Chen’s comments came after China on Friday last week announced new judicial guidelines targeting Taiwanese independence advocates.
Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Djibouti are among the countries where Taiwanese could risk being extradited to China, he said.
Photo: Reuters
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Thursday elevated the travel alert for China, Hong Kong and Macau to “orange” after Beijing announced its guidelines to “severely punish Taiwanese independence diehards for splitting the country and inciting secession.”
Extradition treaties between China and about 60 countries have a provision to exclude the extradition for political offenses, MAC deputy head and spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said.
“Extraditable offenses are the ones that are punishable under the laws of both parties,” in accordance with UN Model Treaty on Extradition, he said.
Most developed countries would not extradite Taiwanese to China for the “splitting the country” offense, he said.
It is best not to travel to developing countries that have signed up for China’s Belt and Road Initiative, especially authoritarian nations with a record of punishing political offenders, such as Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Djibouti, Chen said.
Democracies upholding human rights are safe even if they have an extradition treaty with China, he said.
Vessels and aircraft constitute “moving territories” according to international law, he said, adding that the Chinese government could arrest Taiwanese on a Chinese plane or ship.
Taiwanese could also be arrested if they have a connecting flight at a Chinese airport, even though their destination is not China, Hong Kong or Macau, Chen said.
While Beijing has a history of arresting Taiwanese within its territories on the pretense of unpaid debt, tax evasion or sexual harassment, its latest guidelines are aimed at Taiwan independence activists, he added.
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) today condemned the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) after the Czech officials confirmed that Chinese agents had surveilled Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) during her visit to Prague in March last year. Czech Military Intelligence director Petr Bartovsky yesterday said that Chinese operatives had attempted to create the conditions to carry out a demonstrative incident involving Hsiao, going as far as to plan a collision with her car. Hsiao was vice president-elect at the time. The MAC said that it has requested an explanation and demanded a public apology from Beijing. The CCP has repeatedly ignored the desires
Many Chinese spouses required to submit proof of having renounced their Chinese household registration have either completed the process or provided affidavits ahead of the June 30 deadline, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said on Thursday. Of the 12,146 people required to submit the proof, 5,534 had done so as of Wednesday, MAC deputy head and spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said. Another 2,572 people who met conditions for exemption or deferral from submitting proof of deregistration — such as those with serious illnesses or injuries — have submitted affidavits instead, he said. “As long as individuals are willing to cooperate with the legal
The Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant’s license has expired and it cannot simply be restarted, the Executive Yuan said today, ahead of national debates on the nuclear power referendum. The No. 2 reactor at the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County was disconnected from the nation’s power grid and completely shut down on May 17, the day its license expired. The government would prioritize people’s safety and conduct necessary evaluations and checks if there is a need to extend the service life of the reactor, Executive Yuan spokeswoman Michelle Lee (李慧芝) told a news conference. Lee said that the referendum would read: “Do
The Ministry of Environment yesterday held a seminar in Taipei for experts from Taiwan and Japan to exchange their experiences on the designs and development of public toilets. Japan Toilet Association chairman Kohei Yamamoto said that he was impressed with the eco-toilet set up at Daan Forest Park, adding that Japan still faces issues regarding public restrooms despite the progress it made over the past decades. For example, an all-gender toilet was set up in Kabukicho in Tokyo’s Shinjuku District several years ago, but it caused a public backlash and was rebuilt into traditional men’s and women’s toilets, he said. Japan Toilet Association
RSS