China threatens to execute independence advocates, Taiwan issues travel warning

Taiwan’s government has urged its citizens to travel to China only if absolutely necessary, after Beijing threatened to execute those it considers “strong promoters of independence”. Spokesperson for the Taiwan Mainland Affairs Council, Liang Wen-chiehsaid the notice also applies to the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions.

At a press conference in Taipei today, Liang clarified that the warning is not intended as a retaliatory measure against the Beijing government, but solely as an initiative to protect the public. Chinese authorities issued a set of guidelines on June 21 for imposing criminal penalties on those deemed by the government to be “hardline independence activists.”

Jointly issued by the Supreme People’s Court, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate and the Ministries of Public Security, State Security and Justice, they allow trial in absentia, with the maximum penalty being the death penalty. The guidelines detail a series of crimes, including promoting Taiwan’s entry into international organizations and suppressing groups, individuals and parties promoting “reunification.” Another clause, which defines “other acts aimed at separating Taiwan from China” as actionable, gives the guidelines a much broader interpretation. Beijing has taken legal action against Taiwanese officials in the past, including sanctions against current Taiwanese Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim, a former de facto ambassador to the United States.

The latest Chinese initiative was also strongly contested by Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, who stressed during a press conference in Taipei that “Beijing has no right to sanction the Taiwanese people because of their positions” . “It also has no right to pursue the rights of Taiwanese people across the border,” he added. “I also want to invite Beijing to address the question of the existence of the Republic of China and to have exchanges and dialogues with the legitimate and democratically elected government of Taiwan,” said Lai, according to whom “democracy is not not a crime, and it is the crime.” autocracy is the real evil. » China, which considers Taiwan to be an “inalienable part” of its territory, has never hidden its aversion to Lai, considered a “stubborn promoter of independence”. After the inauguration of the new Taiwanese president, which took place on May 20, the Chinese armed forces organized two days of military exercises around the island (May 23-24), with the declared aim of “punishing separatists » and issue a warning call. to “external forces” accused of interfering in relations between the two sides of the strait.

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