Taiwan restricts Chinese tourists from political activities

TAIPEI, Taiwan – Taiwan’s National Immigration Agency (NIA) unveiled a new set of rules defining the scope of activities in which Chinese tourists in Taiwan can be involved; the rules include four forbidden activities, one of which is participation in political rallies.

Chinese visitors to Taiwan for leisure are not allowed to engage in any activities that challenge national security, social stability and constitutional laws. Secondly, they are not permitted involvement in any political activitie such as electoral campaigns and political talk shows. Chinese tourists are forbidden to hold a paying job. Lastly, they cannot violate the protocols that govern Mainland China residents traveling to Taiwan, NIA said.

NIA did list 20 activities Mainlanders can partake in, which include participating in exhibitions, contests, opening and closing ceremonies, international auctions, new year flag-raising ceremonies, enterprise-sponsored award ceremonies, year-end dinner parties, company meetings, clansmen associations, temple fairs, concerts, sporting events such as swimming across the Sun Moon Lake, wedding ceremonies, undergoing cosmetic surgeries, dinners with political officials, visiting companies, tomb sweeping, visiting relatives or friends, city tours and shopping.

The government forbids individual travelers from China, but those who join tour groups can do whatever they like one-third of the time of their travel. NIA made the restrictions after discussing with local tourism agencies in October how to better monitor and confine Chinese tourists in Taiwan.

In conjunction with Taiwan’s authorities, China-based travel agencies are required to inform their clients of the new rules before they come to Taiwan, said Chiu Hsin-ying, an official of NIA, adding that any Chinese visitor who fails to follow the regulations will be deported. Serious violations will be prosecuted by law, Chiu said.