Taiwan warns citizens to be cautious of going to China after activist arrest — Radio Free Asia
Taiwan authorities on Thursday warned the democratic island’s 23 million citizens not to travel to mainland China unless absolutely necessary, after police in China’s Zhejiang province announced the arrest of a Taiwanese national on “secession charges.”
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), which handles relations with China, “urges Taiwanese citizens to assess the risks of visiting China,” the Central News Agency (CNA) reported after the arrest of Taiwanese activist Yang Zhiyuan.
On August 3, Yang Jiechi, a 32-year-old pro-democracy activist and vice chairman of the independence-leaning Taiwan Nationalist Party, was detained by state security police in Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province, on charges of participating in pro-Taiwanese activities. Independent, state broadcaster China Central Television reported.
“Taiwan nationals should exercise caution when traveling to China, given the potential risks to personal freedom and security,” CNA quoted MAC as saying.
CNA said the MAC called on China to abide by the cross-strait anti-crime agreement, but had not received notice of his arrest through official channels.
“In some respects, Yang’s arrest is seen as retaliation for the recently concluded trip to Taiwan by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi,” the agency reported.
Given that Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan is a threat to China’s sovereignty claims, Beijing has taken a number of countermeasures, including banning the import of certain food products from Taiwan from August 4 and arranging for live ammunition in six waters near the island exercise. -7, it said.
“Irrational Behavior” in the People’s Republic of China
It said at least two Taiwanese nationals, retired National Taiwan Normal University scholar Shi Zhengping and independent scholar Zheng Yuzhen, are also currently being held in mainland China on national security and espionage charges.
Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) denounced Yang’s arrest as a “serious violation of human rights”.
“China, a self-proclaimed great power, has repeatedly abused the judicial system to detain Taiwanese on the grounds of national security,” the party said in a statement widely reported by local media.
“The CCP has taken a series of irrational actions in recent days to exert extreme pressure on Taiwan through malicious bullying, in an attempt to create fear among the Taiwanese people and force Taiwan to submit.”
“Today they succumbed to political extortion using the personal freedom of Taiwanese nationals … which means that Taiwanese in China could be arrested at any time as part of this red terror campaign,” it said.
The Taiwan National Party was established in July 2011 by former President Huang Hua, independent activist Gao Jianlang, scholars Liu Chongyi, Yang Zhiyuan and others.
Guo Baosheng, an exiled Chinese dissident who knew Yang, said he was shocked by the news of his arrest.
“I was shocked because he hated the CCP and vowed that unless China was free, he would never return to China,” Guo told Radio Free Asia.
Ammunition for Pelosi controversy
Gao said his last contact with Yang was in May, adding that Yang’s political positivity has declined since he lost his seat in the New Taipei Legislative Council in 2020.
“He probably thought there was no risk and went that way,” Guo said. “Also, I guess some spies deceived him. [to go there] by pretending [fellow activists] persecuted by the CCP. “
“He likes to be friends with these dissidents,” he added.
Guo said Yang could have been arrested not long ago, but Beijing is now using his case as ammunition to spark controversy over Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, which has also prompted the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to conduct live-fire military exercises and Shoot. Missiles traverse the island.
Another friend of Yang’s, Wang Yikai, said on his Facebook page that he knew that Yang had recently signed up for a Go tournament in Wenzhou.
In addition to the military’s response, several government websites in Taiwan were also attacked during Pelosi’s visit, and the cybersecurity research agency said the attacks were likely carried out by Chinese hackers.
Beijing has imposed import bans on thousands of Taiwanese food products, while the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council has sanctioned four Taiwanese companies that Beijing has labelled “Taiwan independence diehards.”
All of these reactions were predictable, said Chen Kuide, executive chairman of the Princeton China Society.
“Pelosi’s visit in such a formal and high-profile way has angered the CCP and lost face to herself,” Chen told Radio Free Asia.
“All these things are done to save face and restore the country [Chinese] The public has a good impression of their country,” he said. “They’ll do it for a while and do what they want, but really working with the U.S. military is not a good idea, though possible.
little pink is a pastime
A Shanghai resident surnamed Liu said Pelosi’s visit had stirred strong nationalist sentiment among Chinese Communist Party online supporters known as “little pinks,” with many calling for Pelosi’s plane to be shot down.
But he said much of the online hype was a distraction technique designed to stoke populist support at the 20th party convention later this year.
“Without such a hot topic to divert the public’s attention from domestic social contradictions, how could it be possible? [CCP leader Xi Jinping] Successfully re-elected to the 20th National Congress? “Liu said.
Another Shanghai resident surnamed Wang agreed.
“Most people knew they wouldn’t start a war, but they enjoyed the excitement,” Wang said. “in the end, [China] softened its stance and was ridiculed a lot online for it. “
“Now, the topic has been banned from the internet.”
MAC spokesman Qiu Chuizheng said: “The people of Taiwan will never succumb to Beijing’s civil and military attacks… [and] Countermeasures will be resolutely taken. “
“We warn the Chinese authorities not to take this opportunity to pick quarrels and stir up trouble, and immediately abandon attempts to intimidate and retaliate,” Qiu said.
Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
