Taiwan urges its citizens to avoid travel to China, Hong Kong, Macao

Taiwan has urged its citizens to avoid travel to China and the semi-autonomous Chinese territories of Hong Kong and Macao following threats from Beijing to execute supporters of the self-governing island democracy's independence.

Spokesperson and deputy head of the Mainland Affairs Council Liang Wen-chieh issued the advisory at a news conference Thursday.

That came amid growing threats from China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory to be annexed by force if necessary.

China's threat to hunt down and execute hardcore Taiwan independence supporters follows the election of Lai Ching-te of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party as president. China has refused all contact with Taiwan's government since the election in 2016 of former president Tsai Ing-wen of the DPP, who refused to endorse Beijing's demand that Taiwan recognizes itself as a part of China, seen as a prelude to political unification between the sides.

In response to the new guidelines related to the ...