Taiwan Travel: China’s Separatism Definition
- Summer Chen, founder of a fact-checking organization focused on chinese disinformation, no longer travels from her Taiwan home to China.Chen fears being labeled a "Taiwan independence" supporter and...
- While China's military drills near Taiwan grab headlines, a less visible legal and psychological campaign is underway.
- Last year, China issued new punishment guidelines under its 2005 anti-secession law.
China’s broadened definition of ”Taiwan independence” is creating fear and reshaping travel patterns, with potentially dire consequences.Fear of being labeled a supporter of Taiwan independence has led to a palpable tension,driving Taiwanese citizens to avoid mainland China entirely. Beijing’s expanded interpretation of activities considered separatist, coupled with a crackdown, including the possibility of the death penalty, is deterring travel and raising serious concerns about personal safety. This shift, encompassing political, economic, and cultural expressions, directly impacts Taiwanese citizens and, more widely, the role of cross-strait relations. Read more on these developments at News Directory 3.Discover what’s next in this rapidly evolving situation.
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China’s Broadened Definition of Taiwan Independence Sparks Fear
Updated June 19, 2025
Summer Chen, founder of a fact-checking organization focused on chinese disinformation, no longer travels from her Taiwan home to China.Chen fears being labeled a “Taiwan independence” supporter and facing arrest by Beijing. She once enjoyed trips across the Taiwan Strait for her journalism work and sightseeing with her husband.
While China’s military drills near Taiwan grab headlines, a less visible legal and psychological campaign is underway. Many Taiwanese find this campaign more intimidating. Beijing has broadened its definition of “Taiwan independence” activities, encompassing any conduct seeking to separate Taiwan or deny its part in China. This includes suppressing support for unification, covering a wide range of political, economic, and cultural expressions.
Last year, China issued new punishment guidelines under its 2005 anti-secession law. These guidelines allow the death penalty for “Taiwan independence” activists, putting younger Taiwanese, who are more likely to support Taiwan’s autonomy, in a challenging position. The crackdown on Taiwan independence is causing many to rethink travel plans.
“We all feel tense and we won’t travel on the mainland,” Chen said from Taipei. “We totally avoid changing planes in China or Hong Kong.”
Beijing previously focused on a formal declaration of independence by Taipei. However, with the rising popularity of Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which advocates self-determination, Beijing has grown concerned about Taiwan’s political drift. The DPP maintains that Taiwan is already independent, making a formal declaration unnecessary. Chinese leader Xi Jinping has targeted “incremental independence” moves, including efforts to restrict ties with mainland China. The role of these actions is to undermine Taiwan’s democracy.
Xi is signaling that Beijing will not tolerate a lack of progress toward unification. A Taiwan government official, speaking anonymously, said anything can now be interpreted as separatism, which is perilous.
China’s widening legal net has already ensnared individuals. taiwanese political activist Yang Chih-yuan was detained in 2022 and sentenced in 2024 to nine years in a mainland prison on charges of “separatism.” In Febuary, publisher Li Yanhe was convicted of inciting separatism and given a three-year prison term. As of May, 89 taiwanese were missing or detained in China, according to Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council.
Taipei issued a warning last year advising citizens to “avoid unnecessary travel” to mainland China,Hong kong,and Macao,citing a “serious threat to personal safety.” The government also encouraged travelers to register online to speed response to incidents. Rising safety risks have contributed to a reduction in the number of Taiwanese working in China, a trend also driven by trade tensions, the pandemic, and the slowing Chinese economy.
Trips by Taiwan citizens to mainland China have plateaued below pre-pandemic levels and have trended downward in the past year.
Beijing seeks to employ media warfare, legal warfare, and psychological warfare as part of a strategy to undermine Taiwan’s democracy and encourage self-censorship.
Julia Famularo,a lecturer in Asian Studies at the university of Hawaii,said China’s legal crackdown is tied to its campaign to compel unification. She added that Beijing targets Taiwan businesses linked to politicians who seek to bolster the island’s resilience.
What’s next
The situation remains tense as Taiwan navigates the complexities of cross-strait relations amid China’s increasing pressure and legal actions. The future will likely see continued efforts by Taiwan to safeguard its autonomy and by China to assert its claims.