National Security Law Fallout In Taiwan

Lots of fallout from the draconian “National Security Law” China imposed on Hong Kong, which has essentially ended freedom of speech and assembly.

In the wake of the legislation, a record number of people in Taiwan now regard themselves as “Taiwanese,” rather than “Chinese,” according to a survey released by Taipei’s Chengchi University.

An all-time high of 67 percent of the population identify as “Taiwanese,” while only 2.4 percent consider themselves to be “Chinese,” the pollsters said. Their survey has been conducted since June 1992.

That’s an 8.5 percentage point increase in those identifying as “Taiwanese,” up from 58.5 percent, and a 3.3 percentage point decrease in those identifying as “Chinese,” down from 5.7 percent, in June last year.

The results showed that 27.5 percent of respondents consider themselves to be both “Taiwanese” and “Chinese,” down from 34.7 percent last year.

Those surveyed who would advocate Taiwanese independence — if pressed to choose that or unification — also increased, rising from 15.1 percent in 2018 to 27.7 percent this year, the survey said, adding that a separate 7.4 percent hoped for independence “as soon as possible.”

Those wanting to “maintain the ‘status quo’ for now” accounted for 28.7 percent, while those hoping that the “status quo” could be maintained in perpetuity accounted for 23.6 percent.

Those wanting to “unify with China as soon as possible” accounted for 0.7 percent — an all-time low.

Taiwan: Advocating Independence Could Get You Arrested In Hong Kong

Perhaps with that poll in mind, Taiwan warned its citizens, “to think carefully before traveling to Hong Kong.”

Beijing says the law applies to anyone, anywhere in the world saying or doing anything it considers “secessionist.” While the primary intent of that is to intimidate Hong Kongers or Chinese citizens abroad who take part in pro-Hong Kong demonstrations, the broad and poorly written piece of legislation is certainly open to interpretation. Law in China is really what the Communist Party says on the day it says it.

Taiwan says it could snare anyone entering Hong Kong who has spoken in support of Taiwan independence, a mainstream political opinion on the democratic island, which has never been ruled by the Chinese Communist Party, nor formed part of the 70-year-old People's Republic of China.


China considers Taiwan a “renegade province” and in May threatened invasion if Taiwan ever decides to formally become its own country.