China condemns Taiwan travel warning, reassures visitors’ safety

China has urged Taiwanese to visit the mainland “without the slightest concern”, condemning the island’s authorities’ decision to raise the travel alert level following Beijing’s threats targeting independence activists.

Last week, Beijing released judicial guidelines for criminal punishments for Taiwan independence supporters, including the death penalty for “particularly serious” cases involving “hardline” supporters.

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

It also raised the 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 court directives “solely target the very small number of ‘Taiwan independence’ supporters who are involved in malicious acts and sayings”.

“The vast majority of Taiwanese compatriots involved in cross-strait exchanges and cooperation need not have the slightest concern when coming to or leaving the Chinese mainland,” he said.

“They can arrive in high spirits and leave fully satisfied with their stay,” he added.

Mainland China and Taiwan were separated after the Chinese Civil War ended in 1949.

Since then, China has claimed the island republic as part of its territory. She says she wants a “peaceful reunification” but refused to rule out the use of force to bring it under her control.

Beijing has not had high-level contact with Taipei since 2016, when Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) became the island’s leader. She has called 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,” Zhou said in her statement.

Many Taiwanese travel to mainland China to work, study or do business.