MAC official warns of travel risks to China amid new rules

Taipei, Sept. 14 (CNA) Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) and experts warned on Monday of the potential risks of traveling to China as new entry and exit rules take effect, but Taiwan is not planning to raise its travel alert in the face of those risks at the moment.

MAC deputy head Shen Yu-chung (沈有忠) described the new regulations as potentially posing risks to information, business and personal security, and he urged people to carefully assess the risks and avoid unnecessary travel to China.

The five groups that may face heightened risks, he said, are Taiwanese businesspeople in China, executives of Taiwanese companies, workers in the semiconductor and other high-tech sectors, frontline civil servants, and members of certain religious groups.

Shen issued the warning ahead of a forum in Taipei on the new rules, organized by the Asia-Pacific Elite Interchange Association (APEIA).

He advised people in those groups to register their trips to China as an additional safety precaution, but he said the MAC is not mulling raising its current "orange" travel alert level for China -- meaning avoiding non-essential travel -- to the highest "red" alert.

At the forum, Shen said the new rules authorize Chinese customs officials and visa authorities to require people entering or leaving the country to disclose files and digital information, including data stored on mobile phones and laptops.

This could increase the risk of trade secrets or personal political views being exposed, he said.

The rules also stipulate that people who violate export restrictions or technology management regulations, or who are deemed to pose a threat to the security of Chinese industries or technologies, can be barred from leaving China, Shen said.

Also under the new rules, Chinese authorities do not have to inform people subject to exit restrictions of the restriction itself, its reasons or legal basis, or available legal remedies, Shen said.

As a result, he warned, individuals may only become aware of the restriction when they are preparing to leave the country, Shen said.

The provisions may be related to China's competition in the high-tech and semiconductor sectors with the United States as well as Beijing's efforts to control the outflow of talent, Shen suggested.

Hsu Kai-chieh (許凱傑), a judge in the Taipei District Court's National Security Division, said the new regulations are based on China's Exit and Entry Administration Law, which was passed in 2012 and includes Taiwanese nationals in its definition of "Chinese citizens."

This means Taiwanese nationals are "without a doubt" subject to the regulations, Hsu said.

He noted that similar provisions are already in place, citing the 2023 amendment to China's Counter-Espionage Law, which allows foreign nationals suspected of espionage to be restricted from leaving the country.

The new regulations are layered on top of existing measures, with an emphasis on export controls and technology restrictions, Hsu said.

Meanwhile, APEIA Secretary-General Arthur Wang (王智盛) said it would be difficult to determine what Chinese authorities see as "involving national security."

Such provisions could potentially encompass comments by friends or family members expressing support for Taiwan, as well as participation in relevant international organizations or religious groups, he said.

On Sept. 2, China's Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Zhang Han (張晗) said the new regulations were intended to regulate entry and exit, protect the legal rights of customs personnel, and "protect national sovereignty, safety and developmental benefits."

They are also meant to create "a better legal environment for the people of Taiwan," Zhang said.