Taiwanese rethink China travel as Beijing raises stakes for 'separatist' speech
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Ann Scott Tyson Staff writer
| Beijing
Until a few years ago, Summer Chen traveled often from her home in Taiwan to China, venturing across the Taiwan Strait for her job as a journalist and sightseeing with her husband. 鈥淲e enjoyed the culture, history, [and] beautiful scenery,鈥� she recalls.
No more. Ms. Chen, who founded a fact-checking organization that debunks Chinese disinformation, now shuns such trips, for fear that Beijing could label her a 鈥淭aiwan independence鈥� supporter and arrest her.
While China鈥檚 expanding military drills around Taiwan often capture media headlines, Beijing is waging a less visible legal and psychological campaign that nonetheless feels more intimidating to many Taiwanese.
Why We Wrote This
Taiwanese are growing wary of cross-Strait travel as Beijing cracks down on what it calls 'pro-independence' activities 鈥� broadening the definition to justify harsh punishments for a wide range of political expression.
In recent years, the Chinese government has dramatically broadened its definition of what constitutes 鈥淭aiwan independence鈥� activities. They now include any 鈥渃onduct seeking to separate Taiwan from China,鈥� and acts that deny 鈥渢he reality that Taiwan is part of China,鈥� or 鈥渟uppress鈥� support for unification. This wide net covers a vast array of political, economic, and cultural expression. Last year, Beijing also issued new punishment guidelines under China鈥檚 2005 anti-secession law, allowing the death penalty for 鈥淭aiwan independence鈥� activists.
These changes put younger people such as Ms. Chen 鈥� who are聽more likely to support Taiwan鈥檚 autonomy from Beijing聽鈥� in a difficult position.聽
鈥淲e all feel tense 鈥� and we won鈥檛 travel on the mainland,鈥� says Ms. Chen from Taipei. 鈥淲e totally avoid changing planes in China or Hong Kong.鈥�
Beijing shifts its red line
In the past, Beijing used a narrower definition of 鈥淭aiwan independence,鈥� focusing on a formal declaration of independence by Taipei. China鈥檚 Communist Party-led government has never ruled Taiwan, but has claimed the island for decades and has vowed to retake it 鈥� by force, if necessary. Yet polls show that most of the 23 million people who live in Taiwan, a self-governing democracy, favor the status quo of autonomy.聽
With the rising popularity of Taiwan鈥檚 Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which advocates self-determination and has ruled Taiwan since 2016, Beijing has grown more concerned about the island鈥檚 slow political drift. The DPP holds that Taiwan is de facto independent, so formally declaring independence is unnecessary.
To counter this trend, Chinese leader Xi Jinping has targeted what he calls 鈥渋ncremental independence鈥� moves by Taiwan 鈥� including any efforts by individuals or groups to restrict ties with mainland China. In the past year, his government went so far as to publish a list of so-called Taiwan independence 鈥渄iehards,鈥� and set up a tip line calling on the public to report alleged 鈥渢hugs鈥� and 鈥渁ccomplices鈥� who support the island鈥檚 independence.
In essence, Mr. Xi is signaling that Beijing will not tolerate continued lack of progress toward unification.
Today 鈥渁nything can be interpreted as Taiwan independence,鈥� says a Taiwan government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to grant media interviews. 鈥淭hat is dangerous.鈥�
鈥楢void unnecessary travel鈥�
China鈥檚 widening legal net has already ensnared individuals such as Taiwanese political activist Yang Chih-yuan, who was detained in 2022 and sentenced in 2024 to nine years in a mainland prison on charges of 鈥渟eparatism.鈥�
In February, Taiwan-based publisher Li Yanhe was convicted of inciting separatism by a Chinese court and given a three-year prison term. Mr. Li, who was born in China but has lived in Taiwan since 2009, was detained while traveling in China in 2023.
As of May, 89 Taiwanese were missing or detained in China, according to Taiwan鈥檚 Mainland Affairs Council.
Given what it called 鈥渁 serious threat to the personal safety鈥� of Taiwanese, Taipei issued a warning last year advising citizens to 鈥渁void unnecessary travel鈥� to mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macao. The government also encouraged travelers to sign up in advance on a new online China travel registry to speed its response to any incidents.
Rising safety risks have contributed to a steady reduction in the number of Taiwanese working in China in recent years, a trend also driven by trade tensions, the pandemic, and the slowing Chinese economy.
Trips by Taiwan citizens to mainland China have plateaued at around 200,000 per month, well below the 2019 pre-pandemic level, and have trended downward in the past year.
Chipping away at Taiwan鈥檚 democracy
China鈥檚 legal crackdown on 鈥渟eparatists鈥� from Taiwan is closely tied to Beijing鈥檚 broader campaign to compel unification, says Julia Famularo, a lecturer in Asian Studies at the University of Hawaii. 鈥淏eijing seeks to employ media warfare, legal warfare, and psychological warfare as part of a strategy to undermine Taiwan鈥檚 democracy鈥� and encourage self-censorship, she says.
Just as China鈥檚 Coast Guard and Navy conduct large-scale exercises to simulate a military blockade of Taiwan, Beijing has also targeted Taiwan businesses linked to politicians who seek to bolster the island鈥檚 resilience, she says. Such events represent Beijing鈥檚 鈥渃oordinated efforts to 鈥� undermine and isolate Taiwan,鈥� she says.
In March, Taiwan鈥檚 President Lai Ching-te announced 17 strategies to counter China鈥檚 threats, including raising awareness of the mounting legal and travel risks. Taiwan鈥檚 people must unite to 鈥渄efend our sovereignty, uphold our free and democratic way of life, and resolutely oppose annexation of Taiwan by China,鈥� he stressed.
Ultimately, Taiwan鈥檚 future will depend upon the resilience of its people, Dr. Lai and other officials say. 鈥淭o defend our country is our own responsibility,鈥� says Charles Liao, Director-General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, Taiwan's de facto consulate, in Boston. 鈥淚f we don鈥檛 show our resolve 鈥� we cannot expect anyone to help.鈥�
