After Taiwan raised the travel warning for China, Hong Kong and Macao, the "2024 Taipei International Summer Travel Fair and Cross-Strait Taipei Summer Travel Fair" held in Taipei opened on the 12th. Among the 500 booths participating in the exhibition, there are more than
70 booths from 12 provinces and cities on the other side of the strait, including 29 Chinese local officials, the highest level of which is the deputy director of the Anhui Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism.
During the regular press conference of the Mainland Affairs Council on Thursday, a media asked whether the approval of Chinese officials to come to Taiwan represented the government's goodwill. Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council spokesman Liang Wenjie said that the full name of the Taipei Summer Travel Fair is the Taipei International and Cross-Strait Summer Travel Fair, and it is not just on the "two sides of the strait", but also includes other countries participating in the exhibition. "For the Mainland Affairs Council, although there are some officials from the local cultural and tourism bureaus in mainland China this time, they still welcome this kind of exhibition business activities from the perspective of cross-strait exchanges."
A reporter asked, "Is it contradictory that the Mainland Affairs Council adjusted the travel warning light to "orange" but welcomed cross-strait travel fairs?" Liang Wenjie responded, "Raising the travel warning light to orange is to warn the people. We tell everyone that risks exist. This is the government's responsibility. If risks are detected, we must be frank. There is no conflict between sending people from China to the summer travel fair and letting Taiwanese people assess the risks themselves when traveling to the mainland."
Taiwan government reminds citizens to register before travelling to Hong Kong and Macau
On the other hand, Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council issued a press release on Friday stating that in consideration of changes in the situation in Hong Kong and Macao and in response to local laws and regulations and law enforcement trends, the Mainland Affairs Council added relevant information on "Precautions for Traveling to or Transiting through Hong Kong and Macao" to the "Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao Emergency Service Information and Travel Warning Zone" on its official website, reminding Taiwanese people not to carry items prohibited by Hong Kong and Macao laws, such as gas sprayers, stun guns, etc.; and they should pay attention to local laws and regulations before traveling, especially the "Hong Kong National Security Law" and the "Prohibition of Face Coverings Ordinance" and other possible risks to personal safety and rights.
The Mainland Affairs Council also reminded that the "Dynamic Registration System for Taiwanese Citizens Traveling to Hong Kong and Macau" has been opened since October 2019. Before traveling to Hong Kong and Macau, citizens are required to go to the website to log in their personal information and contact information so that they can provide immediate assistance when necessary.
Taiwan government warns Taiwanese businesses in mainland China of tax audit risks
In addition, according to Central News Agency, Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation Secretary-General Luo Wenjia pointed out at a background briefing on the 12th that China's local governments are seriously short of fiscal revenue. Recently, more than 20 provinces and cities have established "Police and Tax Integrated Operations Centers" to combine public security and tax personnel, use big data analysis, and collect information from various information platforms to accurately combat all possible tax evasion. In addition, with the "30-year retrospective" measure, as long as any case is discovered in the past 30 years, it is possible to face huge fines and criminal and administrative responsibilities.
Luo Wenjia said that so far he has not received any reports of Taiwanese businessmen facing this type of tax audit, but he still wants to remind Taiwanese businessmen to pay attention, "because mainland China is so vast, it is unpredictable when this will happen, so we remind everyone to prepare early."