TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) on Tuesday (June 25) cautioned Taiwanese citizens about the risks of traveling or doing business in China, highlighting the government's commitment to ensuring their safety. This warning follows new judicial guidelines from China, introduced on June 21, targeting advocates of "Taiwan independence" with potential charges of secession and threats of the death penalty for certain political expressions.
In a parliamentary session, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP, 民進黨) legislator Wu Li-hua (伍麗華) raised concerns about whether indigenous Taiwanese and citizens of the Republic of China could be labeled as "Taiwan independence" supporters under these guidelines. Premier Cho reassured her, affirming her status as a patriot of Taiwan. Wu warned that nearly 85% of Taiwanese could be at risk of such classification.
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC, 陸委會) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) added that the broad criteria used by China could implicate even more Taiwanese than estimated. He stressed that Beijing has no legal authority over Taiwan and its citizens, and assured that the government would defend the safety and rights of its people vigorously.
