Taipei: Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) announced a prohibition on all current government officials and select former officials from traveling to China for a military parade scheduled on September 3. The parade, organized by Beijing, commemorates the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second Sino-Japanese War.
According to Focus Taiwan, MAC Deputy Head and Spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh emphasized the measure at a regular news briefing in Taipei. He stated that the decision aims to prevent Beijing from leveraging the military parade and associated events as part of “united front efforts targeting Taiwan.” Consequently, central and local government officials are barred from attending any parade or related activities organized by Chinese authorities.
The restrictions extend to personnel across all levels of government, including subordinate agencies. The ban also encompasses former deputy heads or higher-level officials from agencies responsible for national defense, foreign affairs, mainland affairs, or national security, as well as military officers ranked major general or above and heads of intelligence agencies, Liang noted.
Liang warned that former officials violating the ban would face penalties, including fines or the suspension or revocation of pensions, as outlined in the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (Cross-Strait Act).
In addition, Liang advised the public against participating in the September 3 parade or any related events in China. While ordinary members of the public are not explicitly prohibited from attending, Liang cautioned that political parties, legal entities, civic groups, or individuals engaging in cooperative activities with Chinese authorities would be subject to penalties under the Cross-Strait Act and other relevant laws.
These cooperative activities could involve “signing agreements or memorandums, issuing joint statements, or participating in promotional campaigns,” he added.
Liang revealed that before the announcement, there were “a few scattered cases” of government officials applying to attend events in China marking the anniversary. Some applications are still under review, while others have been rejected, he stated.
The military parade, as reported by China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency, is set to take place in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square on September 3. It is meant to commemorate “the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.” Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to “review the troops and address a grand gathering held that day to mark the anniversary.”