When traveling to China, be careful to deal with sensitive issues! A Taiwanese youth nicknamed Hsiao Teng had traveled to China and befriended a Chinese local, who subsequently reported him for "ideological issues" after he saw Hisao Teng carrying the flag of the Republic of China. Hsiao Teng was then visited by public security officials, and only managed to leave after he asserted the statement of "the two sides of the strait are one family, Taiwan is a part of China."


A Taiwanese youth nicknamed Hsiao Teng recently shared his travel experiences in China on social media. In April, he visited Xian and got to know a youth from Shandong who was about the same age as him. Over the next three days, the two of them chatted and interacted. Hsiao Teng claimed that during this time, the Chinese youth observed that he had the flag of the Republic of China and a rainbow flag in his luggage, and then reported him to public security authorities.

These was a Taiwanese person in a certain hostel who held ideologies that violated national sovereignty and he even had on him flags that destroy the harmonious society.

Hsiao Teng currently helps to organize gender-related social movements in Taitung. His original plan was to travel through China on bike. During this trip, he got along quite well with this Shandong youth and they shared their travel experiences with each other. At that time, he told this youth that the flags he had with him were only used during his trips to Europe. After he was denounced, he felt as if he had been betrayed.

(Public security officials) asked if I was aware of the laws and regulations that Taiwanese persons must abide by when traveling in China. They then asked me if I had done these things. I of course denied everything. The third question they asked me was if I accept the principles of the two sides of the strait are one family and one country, two systems. I of course had to say yes.

Hsiao Teng claimed he was so frightened after this visit that he could not fall asleep. He decided to cut short his vacation and return to Taiwan, where he could publish an account of his ordeal on social media. He also trumpeted that he would not return to China for the next 10 years. The Mainland Affairs Council also chimed in on this incident, saying Taiwanese persons traveling to China should make an effort to understand the local environment and legal system before departing.

Perhaps the person involved in the incident did not understand its sensitivity. He also had a rainbow flag, which of course raised eyebrows. We have had past cases of youths who accidentally spoke about some sensitive topics and were thereafter closely monitored by public security authorities.

The Mainland Affairs Council adds that Taiwan is a free and democratic society, and it has many, many differences with China's legal system. If Taiwanese people wish to travel to China, whether for business, school, or tourism, they should first evaluate the risks.



在社群軟體上，發表上個月到中國旅遊的心情，台灣青年小鄧，四月前往西安旅遊，結識一名年紀相仿的山東人，雙方相談甚歡還相處3天。只是小鄧行李中的國旗與彩虹旗，曾被對方看見，沒想到卻招來中國公安關切。

台灣遊中青年 小鄧表示：「在某一間旅社有一個台灣人，他有一些思想上的那個，違反國家主權，甚至也有攜帶破壞社會和諧的旗幟。」

目前在台東從事性別社會運動的小鄧，原本規劃到中國騎單車旅行，和這位山東青年相處融洽，互相也分享旅遊心得；當時有跟對方解釋，國旗與彩虹旗是之前，到歐洲旅遊才使用，結果被山東青年舉報，讓小鄧感覺「被出賣」。

台灣遊中青年 小鄧表示：「（公安問)清不清楚知道台灣人，到大陸所要遵守的法律規範？再來他就是問我說，我有沒有做過這些事情？我當然就是否認啊。第三個他就問我說，是否接受兩岸一家親，一國兩制的一個概念原則？ 我當然就必須說是啊。」

在公安做完筆錄後，小鄧恐懼難以入睡，最後決定縮短行程回台，將事件公開，還強調未來幾十年內，都不會再去中國；陸委會則提醒，國人赴中之前，應先了解當地的環境和法律制度。

陸委會發言人 邱垂正表示：「當事人他可能不了解它的敏感度，加上又有個彩虹旗，當然就引發大家側目，我們過去也有一些青年朋友，因為不小心在談論一些，國家一些敏感性的議題，然後就被他們的安全人員盯住了。」

陸委會也強調，台灣是自由民主開放的社會，跟中國的法律制度有很多的不同，國人如需赴中，不論經商求學或旅遊，都應做好風險評估。