Originally Posted by
evergrn
Okay it helps that Chinese citizens aren't allowed to transit via TPE. Has it always been this way, or is it just since the outbreak?
And if it's always been this way, then China-TPE flights are pretty much strictly O&D?
I'm not any more worried the virus in Taiwan or Jpn than I am about it in US. Jpn may have 2x as many cases as Taiwan, but it's also got 5x the population. And to me, 20 cases in an entire country is no different than another country with 10 cases. They're both very small %, but either way we don't know what to expect going forward.
What I am worried about is being in the same aircraft as multiple pax coming from China, whether/not they have symptoms.
China never really permits its citizens transit through Taiwan (except leaving from Nanchang, Chongqing and Kunming), unless they have permanent residency in other countries.
So,
before the coronavirus outbreak:
CHN->TWN->3rd Country: No travellers holding Chinese passports allowed (unless they have foreign permanent residency in which case immigration officers at certain airports such as PVG usually permit their travel).
3rd Country->TWN->CHN: In theory no, but since travellers using Chinese passports would have already arrived in China when Chinese officers found out, there are no tangible rules to prevent them from doing it, and many have been doing so.
But
after the outbreak, Taiwan banned all travellers holding Chinese passports to board flights to Taiwan, so you are not likely to see any Chinese citizen on BR now. I heard some Chinese nationals were asked to leave the plane on a BR flight leaving SFO yesterday. But as others have mentioned, it seems that non-Chinese (including Taiwanese and other nationalities) can still travel from CHN to TWN (and onward), you still have a chance to encounter someone who uses TPE as a stopover when they just arrive from China. They just won't be Chinese national though.
In general, I think the risks/chances is much lower than ICN and NRT but higher than SIN, since the former don't have any such comprehensive ban yet while the latter does (already banning all travellers, even transit passengers, who have been in China within 14 days prior to travel).
Yet, to be honest, you might want to closely monitor the situation. Japan seems to be much less alert than Taiwan this time. Japan was not affected by the SARS outbreak back in 2003 while Taiwan did suffer a lot of economic losses. There had been many Chinese visitors in Japan during the Lunar New Year holiday last week. You should keep an eye on how it develops in Japan and might want to make changes to your plan accordingly.
Originally Posted by
ernestnywang
Mainland Chinese pax originates from outside of Mainland China can also transit in Taiwan. I don't think there is any restriction imposed on the Taiwanese side yet. If they are not originating out of Mainland China, there is little concern anyway.
I can't find any official documents in English yet, but here is
a list in Chinese language of who is allowed to enter Taiwan in this period of virus outbreak. The vast majority types of visas are banned/revoked except immediate family member renuion or very limited types of business visas. I admit there is a slight grey area as it doesn't imply returning Chinese citizens using TPE as a mere transit stop, but what I have learned from a Chinese American WeChat group is that there were Chinese nationals asked to deplane on a TPE-bound BR at SFO. I would assume it was a last-minute decision by BR staff that they should interpret the Taiwanese policy as not allowing anyone holding Chinese passports to fly. I don't have any official statements/documents, however.
Update:
Just read
this post on a Chinese equivalent of Flyertalk: the OP is Chinese passport holder who lives in Japan and wanted to fly CI from KIX to KUL. S/he contacted CI offices in Taipei and Tokyo and was told by both that Taiwan has also banned transit.