Taipei: Alex Huang, 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.
According to Focus Taiwan, Huang explained that Beijing is expanding its intelligence-gathering efforts beyond central and local government personnel. They are seeking information ranging from the locations of civil defense shelters and critical supply stockpiles to logistics routes managed by grassroots officials. Citing examples, Huang noted cases where police officers were questioned about their duties and critical infrastructure, while judiciary members were asked for information during visits to China, though he refrained from providing specifics.
Additionally, Huang highlighted incidents involving Taiwanese individuals affiliated with religious groups who were detained in China while traveling as tourists. Engineers working in advanced technology and defense-related fields have expressed concerns to the government about business travel to China, according to Huang.
These warnings from Huang come in 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) had already cautioned that the vaguely defined security rules grant Chinese authorities broad discretion over exit and entry controls.
The new regulations enable China to bar citizens from leaving the country for up to three years over national security offenses or indefinitely for technology and export violations. Moreover, they permit 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 on August 1 that these regulations aim to address emerging threats, including risks to Chinese citizens abroad and fraudulent entry applications.
According to Huang, Taiwan's government is currently drafting travel guidelines to help citizens mitigate risks and protect themselves while in China. Although Huang did not elaborate on the specifics of these proposed guidelines, he mentioned that some foreign companies require employees traveling to China to carry burner phones instead of their personal devices.