China urges Taiwanese to visit 'without worry' despite threats

BEIJING, China - China has urged Taiwanese to visit the mainland "without the slightest worry", condemning the island authorities' decision to raise their travel alert level after Beijing threats targeting independence advocates.

Last week, Beijing published judicial guidelines on criminal punishments for supporters of Taiwanese independence, including the death penalty for "particularly serious" cases involving "diehard" advocates.

In response, Taiwan's government on Thursday urged the public to avoid "unnecessary travel" to mainland China and Hong Kong.

It also raised its travel warning for China to the second-highest "orange" level.

But Zhu Fenglian, a spokeswoman for a Chinese body in charge of Taiwan affairs, said in a statement late Friday that the new judicial directives "are aimed solely at the very small number of supporters of 'Taiwan independence', who are engaged in malicious acts and utterances".

"The vast majority of Taiwan compatriots involved in cross-strait exchanges and cooperation do not need to have the slightest worry when they come to or leave mainland China," she said.

"They can arrive in high spirits and leave fully satisfied with their stay," she added.

Mainland China and Taiwan split following the Chinese civil war that ended in 1949.

Since then, China has claimed the democratic island as part of its territory. It says it wants "peaceful reunification" but has refused to rule out using force to bring it under its control.

Beijing has not conducted top-level communications with Taipei since 2016, when the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)'s Tsai Ing-wen became the island's leader. It has branded her successor, President Lai Ching-te, a "dangerous separatist".

"The DPP authorities have fabricated excuses to deceive the people on the island" and "incite confrontation and opposition", Zhu said in her statement.

Many Taiwanese travel to mainland China to work, study or do business. — Agence France-Presse