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Taiwan regional travelers with so-called ‘passports’ denied entry to Uganda; mainland expert says separatist pursuits keep narrowing island’s international space_我的网站

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    Photo: VCG
China's cybersecurity authority on Tuesday publicized ten typical cases in its crackdown on crimes involving the infringement of citizens' personal information. Among them was a case in which a criminal gang illicitly obtained highly sensitive data, including hotel check-in records, and sold the information at inflated prices to lawyers and private investigators. The suspects were subjected to criminal coercive measures.
Released via the official WeChat account of the cyberspace authority under China's Ministry of Public Security, the cases involve various forms of illegal infringement of citizens' personal-information. For instance, several of the cases involve illegal investigation operations conducted under the guise of "private detective" services.
In one case, a "legal consultancy" studio established by two men and their associates illegally obtained highly sensitive personal information, including hotel check-in records, vehicle records and travel trajectories, through overseas social platforms. Operating under the pretext of "legal support" and "investigative assistance," they then promoted their services online to generate leads and sold the information at premium rates to lawyers, private investigators, and information brokers.
These clients used the data to gain undue advantages in divorce proceedings, debt collection, and commercial disputes. Investigations revealed that the gang had illegally obtained over 100,000 pieces of citizens' personal information, involving illicit proceeds of more than one million yuan ($148,000). 
To date, all ten suspects in this case have been placed under criminal coercive measures in accordance with the law, the authority said.
Another criminal ring led by a 34yearold man surnamed Wu advertised a full range of private investigation services on social media. Apart from illegally obtaining targets' travel trajectories and hotel checkin records, it also hired operatives to conduct illegal activities including GPS tracking, physical surveillance, covert filming and audio recording.
This operation formed a clearly divided and well-concealed illicit industrial chain combining online data retrieval and offline tracking, and provided illegal personal-information services to 12 individuals, generating over one million yuan in illegal proceeds. Currently, the six suspects in this case have been transferred for prosecution.
Other offences featured in the cases include schemes that coerce merchants into handing over buyers' personal information in exchange for boosted online ratings.
A criminal syndicate headed by a 36yearold man surnamed Dong deployed shared power banks to budget motels free of charge and offered revenue shares to secure partnerships. In return, the gang required that the motels illegally supply guests' personal details such as names and checkin times in exchange for services including manufactured positive reviews and removal of negative feedback.
The group also manipulated ratings across multiple internet platforms via followup phone calls and illicit plugins for illegal profits. It unlawfully gathered over one million pieces of citizens' personal information and tampered with more than 100,000 online reviews, with illicit turnover topping 11 million yuan. The 33 involved suspects have been formally indicted.
Other disclosed cases of personal-information infringement involved schools, education and training institutions, and ophthalmic hospitals. Suspects involved in the cases have either been subject to coercive measures or prosecuted in accordance with the law.
Global Times
。         This photo shows a city view of Kampala, Uganda. Photo: XinhuaTravelers from the Taiwan region are being cautioned against traveling to Uganda after reports that several Taiwan residents had their travel documents issued by the Taiwan authorities seized or were denied entry in early August, amid a series of moves recently in Africa related to the one-China principle. A mainland expert noted that the more "Taiwan independence" forces seek international space, the narrower their room for maneuver will become.
According to Taiwan regional media outlet United Daily News (UDN) on Saturday, a Taiwan resident holding a valid Ugandan work permit had his so-called "passport" confiscated by Ugandan immigration officials on August 3 after arriving at Entebbe International Airport (EBB) on a domestic flight. The officials cited a "new policy" but have yet to return the "passport." 
In a separate but similar incident, another Taiwan regional resident was also denied entry by Ugandan immigration officials at EBB and deported on the same flight, according to UDN.
The two incidents occurred at the same airport within a short period of time, with the authorities' actions escalating from the confiscation of travel documents to outright denial of entry and deportation, a travel agency was quoted by the report as saying.
The developments suggest that the measures being taken by Ugandan authorities may go beyond isolated incidents and could represent a systematic pattern of enforcement targeting people from the region, with signs that the situation is "continuing to escalate," per the report by UDN.
However, so-called Taiwan regional foreign affairs authorities stated that the relevant cases may be connected with the measure rolled out by the Taiwan region to temporarily suspend visa issuance to Ugandan nationals and bar their entry amid the worsening Ebola epidemic, according to Taiwan's local media CNA, adding it will keep negotiating with Uganda and offer support to impacted people.
Prior to this incident, several African countries had already adjusted their wording and entry policies concerning Taiwan region. According to a previous UDN report in July, on the registration page for South Africa's Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system, Taiwan is listed as "Taiwan, China" in the dropdown menu for place of issue of travel documents. Similarly, the international dialing code +886 is marked "Taiwan, China" under the phone number section.
That same month, the Moroccan Embassy in Japan suspended its Visa Confirmation Letter (VCL) review process for travelers from Taiwan region starting July 23, while the regional authorities stopped accepting visa applications from Moroccan nationals in retaliation, according to CNA.
But some netizens from the island commented that they had "gotten used to this situation". One remarked, "It was Papua New Guinea a few days ago, and now Morocco again. Taiwan's foreign affairs department sure has an easier job these days."
After the government of Papua New Guinea announced the closure of the "Taipei Economic Office in Papua New Guinea," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian also said during a press conference on July 16 that China highly commends the decision and it demonstrates once again that upholding the one-China principle is where international public opinion trends and the arc of history bends. 
Earlier in April, three African countries, Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar revoked flight permit to cross their countries without prior warnings before regional leader Lai Ching-te's planned trip to Eswatini.
Zheng Jian, a professor at the Graduate Institute for Taiwan Studies at Xiamen University in East China's Fujian Province, told the Global Times that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has pushed to internationalize the Taiwan question and expand "Taiwan independence" activities abroad, directly challenging the one-China principle widely upheld by the international community and provoking pushback.
International community, including African countries, would not choose to support "Taiwan independence" in their diplomatic decisions, and the more the separatists seek international space, the narrower their room for maneuver will become, the expert noted.
Against the backdrop of the one-China principle, attributing such entry restrictions solely to the Ebola-related policy would amount to misplaced wishful thinking, he said. In truth, DPP authorities should not ignore that all the setbacks Taiwan region faces internationally nowadays are brought about by "Taiwan independence" separatist activities, Zheng said.
A spokesperson from Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, Zhang Han, said during a press conference on July 22 that facts have proven time and again that the one-China principle is a basic norm governing international relations and a universal consensus among the international community. 
"Upholding the one-China principle aligns with righteousness and represents the irresistible historical trend. A just cause gains wide support, whereas an unjust one garners little backing. The DPP authorities stubbornly adhere to their separatist 'Taiwan independence' stance. Acting against the tide of history, they will only encounter repeated setbacks internationally," Zhang added.
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