Taiwan, Hong Kong Activists Alarmed Over China Watch List
- Authorities compiling names of ‘separatists,’ newspapers say
- Beijing could pursue overseas using variety of laws: reports
Riot police raise a purple flag warning demonstrators they may be in violation of the national security law in Hong Kong, on Oct. 1.
Photographer: Chan Long Hei/BloombergTaiwanese and Hong Kong activists expressed alarm over reports that China was compiling a global watch list of those who have voiced views deemed separatist, a move that would mark a major escalation in Beijing’s pursuit of its critics.
China is gathering names of prominent advocates of Taiwanese independence, Beijing-backed newspaper Ta Kung Pao reported earlier this week. The list could include activists both in Taiwan and abroad as well as those who helped fund such activities, Ta Kung Pao said, citing officials it didn’t name. The newspaper is among the publishing operations controlled by China’s government through its Hong Kong Liaison Office.