NSC adviser urges caution on travel to China amid new rules

Taipei, Sept. 11 (CNA) Alex Huang (黃重諺), an adviser to the Presidential Office's National Security Council (NSC), renewed warnings Friday against traveling to China ahead of new entry-exit regulations set to take effect there next Tuesday.

Huang identified civil servants, members of religious groups, and engineers in sensitive technology firms as the most likely targets of Chinese authorities, during an interview broadcast Friday on a Liberty Times online program.

He said Beijing is seeking a wide range of information, from the locations of civil defense shelters and critical supply stockpiles to logistics routes managed by grassroots officials, expanding its intelligence gathering beyond central and local government personnel.

Citing examples, Huang said the government is aware of cases in which police officers were questioned about their duties and critical infrastructure, while members of the judiciary were asked to provide information during visits to China. He did not elaborate.

There have also been cases of Taiwanese affiliated with religious groups being detained in China while traveling as tourists rather than taking part in religious activities, he added.

Engineers working in advanced technology and defense-related fields have also raised concerns with the government about business travel to China, according to Huang.

Huang's warnings were the latest response to China's new exit-entry regulations, which were promulgated on July 31 and are set to take effect next Tuesday.

In early August, Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) warned that Beijing's vaguely defined security rules give authorities broad discretion over exit and entry controls.

The regulations would allow China to bar citizens from leaving the country for up to three years over national security offenses, or indefinitely for technology and export violations.

They would also allow authorities to deny entry to foreign nationals who submit false applications, violate immigration laws, or are subject to Chinese sanctions.

China's state-run People's Daily reported Aug. 1 that the regulations are intended to address emerging threats, including risks to Chinese citizens abroad and fraudulent entry applications.

According to Huang, Taiwan's government is drafting travel guidelines to help citizens reduce risks and protect themselves while in China.

Huang did not provide details of the proposed guidelines, but pointed to foreign companies that require employees traveling to China to carry burner phones instead of their personal devices.