By Jakub Piasecki
Tensions rise as Taipei protests Beijing’s new national security law in the run-up to Taiwan’s 2016 election.
On July 1, 2015 the National People’s Congress of China (NPC) approved a new national security law (NSL), which covers a wide range of issues, among them territorial sovereignty and security of seas and airspace or cyber security. The law was adopted unanimously with 154 votes in favor and only one abstention.
For the first time, the document included Hong Kong and Macau in its scope. Moreover, the new NSL stipulates that “compatriots from Taiwan” (along with all the Chinese people from the mainland, Hong Kong, and Macau) have the obligation to safeguard the territorial integrity and sovereignty of China.
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), which is responsible for Taiwan’s relations with China on a ministerial level, issued a protest note on the same day. The “solemn statement” describes the adoption of the NSL as an action harmful for cross-strait relations and the status quo in the Taiwan Strait. MAC also underlined that China’s unilateral actions would not change the fact that the Republic of China (Taiwan) is a “sovereign state”, separate from the mainland. MAC also pointed out that the content of the NSL was disrespectful to Taiwan and its people.
Read the full story at The Diplomat