Taiwan Raises China Travel Alert Over Beijing’s Death Penalty Threats

Beijing’s newly-released judicial guidelines targeting Taiwan independence ‘diehards’ put Taiwanese traveling to China, Hong Kong, and Macau at risk.

Taiwanese sailors salute the island's flag on the deck of the Panshih supply ship after taking part in annual drills at the Tsoying naval base in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, on Jan. 31, 2018. Mandy Cheng/AFP via Getty Images

Taiwan has raised its travel warning for China to the second-highest level, telling its citizens to avoid taking “non-essential travel” to the country, following threats from Beijing to impose the death penalty on “diehard” supporters of the island’s independence.

Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, a cabinet-level administrative agency responsible for handling affairs concerning China, raised the travel alert from “yellow” to “orange” in the island’s four-level advisory system, according to a June 27 press release.