China has threatened Taiwanese “independence” activists with death. The announcement caused a stir in Taiwan. What exactly does this new sanction mean?
From our correspondent in Taipei,
So China announced a new regulation on June 21 that would impose penalties ranging from 10 years in prison to the death penalty for what Beijing calls “seasoned separatists.” The crime was partly defined in the 2005 Secession Law and targets anyone who prevents Taiwan’s “peaceful unification” with China.
According to Chinese state media, the announcement is a direct response to the inauguration speech of Taiwan’s new president William Lai in May. The new leader said that Taiwan was “already an independent country.” A well-known position, but one rarely expressed so directly. Chinese government spokesman Zhu FengLian said: ” Taiwan is part of China. Any Taiwanese independence activists who dare to defy the law will be relentlessly pursued, no matter where they are, and severely punished according to the law. ».
Who is concerned ?
That is the whole question. Taiwanese President William Lai is considered by Beijing as one of these separatists; several members of his party are also on China’s blacklist, such as Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim.
But the question arises for the rest of the Taiwanese political landscape. More than 90% of Taiwanese are opposed to annexation with China, as are the majority of Taiwanese political parties. This is what makes the Taiwanese president say that China is actually targeting all Taiwanese: ” From China’s perspective, if you don’t support unification, then you are pro-independence. In other words, there is no party in Taiwan that is not pro-independence, and that is the party promoting unification. I want to tell China to engage in dialogue with the government legally elected by the Taiwanese people, democracy should not be a crime. »
Many Taiwanese live or work in China. What could this new sanction change?
Yes, hundreds of thousands of Taiwanese live in or regularly visit China. So Beijing quickly backpedaled, “ The vast majority of Taiwanese people have nothing to worry about ” assured the Chinese government in a statement.
In fact, many Taiwanese are worried about their trips to China. In recent months, several checks and even pretrial detentions have been reported by Taiwanese visiting Chinese territory. The Taiwanese government has therefore raised the alert level for visits to Chinese territory from yellow to orange, and urges Taiwanese to travel to China only in cases of necessity.
This new measure is actually part of a fairly clear strategy by Beijing described by some experts as that of the “carrot and stick”. On the one hand, Beijing is seeking to attract the Taiwanese to its soil, and at the same time to punish those who are not in favor of unification. Added to all this, of course, are military, economic and diplomatic pressures that are expected to continue in the coming months, but in proportions that are still unknown.
Read alsoChina imposes death penalty on Taiwanese independence activists guilty of ‘crime of secession’
