China toughens its stance against “Taiwanese independence fighters” – Libération

Beijing has been recommending harsh sentences, including the death penalty, for “secession” activities by “Taiwanese independence activists” since late June. On Thursday, a Taiwanese activist was sentenced to nine years in prison on this charge.

For Mr. Chen (1), visits to China had become almost a dull routine. The employee of a bicycle parts company based in Taichung, central Taiwan, spends part of his time on the plane, visiting suppliers and customers spread across several Chinese provinces. But last month, for the first time, while passing through Chinese customs, the 30-year-old was held in a small room and his phone searched for a few minutes. “I thought about what I might have said, or posted on social media.”he notes. Eventually, the phone was returned to him, without explanation, but the experience left its mark. “I will continue to go to China, but I will be even more careful about what I say or share on social media.”he notes.

The episode worried Mr. Chen all the more because China has in recent months strengthened its legislative arsenal against what it calls “Stubborn Taiwanese separatists”. Earlier this summer, China’s Supreme People’s Court issued a recommendation encouraging punishments up to and including the death penalty for activities “of secession”including in absentia trials. In early August, Chinese authorities published a list of “ten stubborn Taiwanese independence activists”including the current Taiwanese vice president, Hsiao Bi-khim, with an email address allowing