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Click here to see the summaryChina’s expanded Law on the Guarding of State Secrets, which lawmakers passed in February, took effect on May 1 to align with Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent efforts to broaden national security-driven regulations. Beijing considers self-ruled Taiwan to be Chinese territory, and Xi has made “reuniting” the democratic island with mainland China a long-running centerpiece of his strategic policy. In addition, the law requires “network operators” to assist in investigations into social media posts involved in suspected leaks, including removing, saving records and reporting them to authorities. However, Taiwan’s MAC noted that when this type of “vague provision” lacks clear guidelines, it is “not uncommon” for Taiwanese and other foreign nationals to be “falsely accused” while participating in exchange activities in mainland China. Lee Ming-che, a prominent Taiwanese human rights activist, told DW that Beijing is simply “legalizing” what it had been doing and turned the law into a weapon to “divide its own people and create external enemies.” Last week, China’s State Security Ministry announced that a professor from an unnamed country “illegally collected” data from a local national about wetland reserves and forest areas “in the name of academic cooperation.” — Saved 79% of original text.