WARNING! DO NOT GO TO CHINA NOW! We Are Not Kidding！

The enactment of the revised counter-espionage law by the Chinese Communist Party, CCP, on July 1 has raised concerns about the expansion of its power for the purpose of suppressing dissent. The law broadens the scope of defining espionage activities, encompassing actions such as taking photographs, using GPS maps, searching for local government or corporate information online, engaging in interviews or conversations with relevant individuals, and even participating in religious activities. These activities can now be deemed as potential violations of the counter-espionage law on the grounds of possible impact on national security, subjecting individuals to arrest or detention by the CCP. On June 30, the U.S. Department of State issued a Level 3 travel advisory urging American citizens to reconsider travel to China due to the risk of arbitrary detention. The Department of State has a four-level travel advisory system, with Level 1 being the lowest and Level 4 the highest. Similar travel advisories were also issued by the U.S. Department of State for Hong Kong and Macau, advising American citizens to exercise increased caution, Level 2 advisory when traveling to Hong Kong, and to reconsider travel, Level 3 advisory to Macau. The advisory highlights behaviors that may be perceived as criminal by the Chinese government and provides detailed information on the risks foreign travelers or residents may face in China, including interrogation, prosecution, detention, expulsion, and even imposition of exit bans. Furthermore, the advisory explains that the Chinese authorities may exploit their so-called exit bans to compel foreign individuals to participate in CCP-led investigations or use them as bargaining chips in negotiations with foreign governments, a practice commonly referred to as hostage diplomacy. The Level 3 travel advisory issued by the U.S. Department of State does not specify any particular cases. However, in May of this year, a Chinese court sentenced 78-year-old American and Hong Kong citizen Xi Yue Wang on charges of espionage without publicly disclosing relevant evidence. Xi Yue Wang is the president of the Liangshan Cultural Exchange Foundation and holds various positions in Chinese community organizations, such as chairman of the Texas Chinese Peaceful Reunification Promotion Association and director of the Washington Chinese United Association. The U.S. National Counterintelligence and Security Center has also issued a warning stating that after the implementation of the new version of the counterespionage law in China, normal business activities of foreign-funded enterprises in the country may be perceived as espionage activities by the Chinese government, leading to potential punishments. Around the same time, the Canadian government also updated its travel advisory for its citizens visiting China, noting that due to the risk of arbitrary enforcement, travelers should exercise a high degree of caution while in China. Under the new version of the counterespionage law implemented by the CCP, Chinese National Security Agency personnel have the authority to inquire about relevant individuals and organizations and inspect the belongings of individuals suspected of engaging in espionage activities with unknown identities. This means that personal belongings such as mobile phones and laptops carried by individuals could be subject to inspections by Chinese authorities. This update to the law comes after a nine-year gap in Beijing. Recently, a CCP's official media has intensified its propaganda, urging ordinary citizens to report suspicious individuals and generate support for the newly implemented counterespionage law. The comprehensive promotion of the new version of the counterespionage law by the CCP domestically has caused alarm in Taiwan. According to information released by Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, there are seven patterns that could potentially violate the CCP's counterespionage law for individuals in China. These include engaging in academic exchanges to collect information, having close interactions with Chinese enterprises and CCP officials, capturing footage of ports or military exercises, advocating democratic and freedom ideals, maintaining close ties with foreign institutions outside mainland China, collecting social and public opinion data in mainland China, and frequently traveling back and forth across the border. Taiwanese legislator Wang Ting-yu cautioned that Taiwan residents should also be mindful of the principle of avoiding risky countries. After the implementation of the CCP's foreign relations law and the new version of the counterespionage law, foreign nationals, including Taiwanese citizens, face the risks of arbitrary enforcement, detention and travel bans by the CCP without any clear standards. Shen Ming, director of the National Security Institute at Taiwan's National Defense University, expressed to the media that the risks of conducting business in mainland China will be very high in the future. For example, if you suddenly see their military passing by on the roadside and you ask a few more questions, someone might report to you and label you as a spy. Wang Xinhuan, chairman of Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party, stated that there are still numerous unaccounted-for individuals from Taiwan in China and questioned how these individuals have disappeared. He criticised the foreign relations law and the counterespionage law as a barbaric and arbitrary legalisation of China's ongoing abuses. Wang Xinhuan criticised that both of these laws essentially aim to persecute human rights and can be arbitrarily interpreted and expanded by the Chinese authorities, lacking the principles of rule of law. They even allow the extension of state power to encroach upon the sovereignty and citizens of other countries, invoking a kill-the-distant mentality. Wang Xinhuan bluntly stated that the CCP poses the greatest threat to international security and human civilisation. On June 26, the South Korean embassy in China listed the expanded scope of espionage activities under the new counterespionage law by the CCP on its official website. It warned of potential unforeseen losses and advised nationals residing in or planning to visit China to exercise caution. The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also implemented certain strategies to address the CCP's counterespionage law. On June 28, the Hankuk Ilbo revealed that upon hearing about the upcoming implementation of a stricter version of the counterespionage law, Korean expatriates in a Chinese city began deleting statistics and analysis data related to their businesses stored on computers and destroyed such information in their offices. TV Chosun also reported that due to deteriorating relations between South Korea and China, the number of South Koreans travelling to China this year has decreased by 90% compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic. Even after the CCP lifted all entry restrictions for foreigners, there was still an 85% decrease in April. Former mainland human rights lawyer Wu Xiaoping pointed out, Based on the CCP's relationship with these countries, such as Europe, the United States, Japan and South Korea, it can any time implement the so-called counterespionage law to arrest and suppress the citizens of these countries, serving the purpose of hostage diplomacy. Therefore, if you want to avoid your nationals and businesses from falling into such risks and dangerous situations with the CCP, you should reduce exchanges with the Chinese regime. Professor Feng Chongyi, a China affairs scholar at the University of Technology Sydney, stated in a phone interview with Voice of America on June 30 that the CCP's new version of the counterespionage law is a typical evil law. Feng emphasised that the CCP's counterespionage law has always been used as a political tool to maintain the one-party dictatorship of the CCP. It surpasses the previous or current international hard boundaries for espionage crimes and has a very broad scope. He said, Feng also gave examples to illustrate how the CCP politicises the law. For example, the expression joining espionage organisations and their agents in the counterespionage law is very vague and in practice, individuals who have contact with foreign countries can be convicted under the charge of espionage crimes. He said that the descriptions of targeting state organs and acquiring key information are also very ambiguous. The CCP uses these vague and politically driven concepts to expand the universally recognised scope of organisations and the nature of information into an infinite and extensive space. When asked about the reasons behind the CCP regime's actions, Feng Chongyi believes that the CCP's goal is to make the law fully serve its political purposes. He stated that It is indeed a case of, if you want to accuse someone, you can always find a pretext. Feng Chongyi also expressed that the CCP authorities not only require citizens to report, but also offer substantial rewards. This could lead to malicious individuals fabricating false information to harm others for monetary gain or personal interests. It creates a terrifying situation and poses significant damage to the overall moral fabric of Chinese society. Prior to the implementation of the revised counter-espionage law, several American and Japanese companies had already been subjected to raids and searches by the CCP authorities, resulting in the arrest of foreign citizens. In early March of this year, a senior executive of the Japanese pharmaceutical company Astellas was detained by the CCP on charges of espionage. According to an insider familiar with the matter, the man was detained by the CCP authorities before he planned to return to Japan this month. Since 2015, at least 16 Japanese nationals have been detained in China on suspicion of engaging in espionage activities apart from this case. The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that five individuals are still detained in China. On the afternoon of March 20, the Beijing office of the U.S. due diligence firm Mintz Group was subjected to a sudden search by the CCP government, leading to the arrest of five Chinese employees. Additionally, a senior executive of Mintz Group stated that a Singaporean employee of the Beijing office had been arbitrarily banned from leaving China in January this year but was not arrested or charged. A month later, on April 26, the U.S. consulting giant Bain & Company reported that its Shanghai office employees were questioned. According to insiders, the police confiscated computers and phones but did not detain any team members. Another employee mentioned that the police had visited the company's Shanghai office on multiple occasions. The new version of the CCP's counter-espionage law has alarmed domestic and foreign enterprises as they attempt to decipher the authorities' intentions. Most importantly, they seek clarity on what is prohibited. An employee of a large international audit firm stated to Agence France-Presse AFP in Companies are trying to develop processes to protect their employees. But the law's definition is very vague. No one knows if they have crossed the line or where the red line is.