Tourists pose for photos with the Taiwan flag in the background during a boat tour around the islands of Kinmen on May 25, 2024. (Photo by Sarah LAI / AFP)
Sun Lee
China seems to be pretty miffed with the new Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te who has repeatedly rejected Beijing’s sovereignty claim over Taiwan. President Lai though had offered peace talks with China but stands firm on the statement that only Taiwan’s people can decide their future. This has irked China to such an extent that it has issued a death penalty to Taiwanese independence supporters on its soil. The shocking execution threat prompted President Lai to come out in equal measure and issue travel advisory for its citizens to avoid visiting the Chinese-governed cities of Hong Kong and Macau.
China had earlier tried to put pressure on the newly elected Taiwanese President Lai by staging a war games exercise near Taiwan’s border in a rude display of its might. President Lai, who is seen as a separatist by People’s Republic of China is on China’s radar for his growing proximity with the United States and his pro-democracy stand. China has now hardened its ‘negative’ stance against Taiwan by announcing new legal guidelines that target Taiwanese sympathizers who support independence of the island nation. The guidelines that propose the death penalty to Taiwanese supporters in China is strongly condemned by President Lai and the United States.
China also wants other countries in world to support Taiwan’s re-unification with the mainland and follow its call for execution of Taiwanese “separatists”. Chinese President Xi Jinping has made it clear that he will stop at nothing to re-unify Taiwan with China under its infamous “One China” policy.
China’s Supreme People Procurator, Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of National Security, and Ministry of Justice jointly issued a statement telling courts and prosecutors across all levels in China to severely punish pro-independence supporter of Taiwan for inciting separatist crimes and splitting the country. Which means China is also threatening the Taiwanese citizens in Taiwan and elsewhere with the death penalty through the Chinese legal system. The new law not only covers people in Taiwan but also covers people all over the world. Even depicting Taiwan as independent in fields of history, education, culture or news media can land the person in trouble.
The goal of such a call by China was to resolutely defend national sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity. The directive targets anyone working to further formal statehood for a Taiwanese republic, including holding a referendum, promoting the island’s membership in international organizations and colluding with foreign forces to promote independence. The directive further suggests that anyone who takes part in pro-independence organization or tries to finance its activities can face ten-years imprisonment or even a life term depending upon the severity of the crime. For the death penalty, anyone who causes serious harm to the state and the people and whose circumstances are particularly heinous may be sentenced to death.
Liang Wen-chieh, spokesperson for Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, taking cognizance of China’s new guidelines informed the press that there is a travel warning for its citizens travelling to Chinese-run cities of Hong Kong and Macau. He was equally concerned regarding safety of his countrymen residing overseas and feared some countries would comply with China’s guidelines without naming any country specifically
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council while denouncing the China’s directive has described it as highly uncivilized and crude provocation. It said, “The Beijing’s authorities have absolutely no jurisdiction over
Taiwan, and CCP’s so-called laws and norms have no binding force on our people.” Taiwanese President Lai responding to the illogical directive said, “Democracy is nor crime; it’s autocracy that is the real evil. China has absolutely no right to sanction Taiwan’s people just because of the positions they hold. China has no right to go after Taiwan’s people’s rights across borders.”
Experts feel this directive by China and previous war games is more or less legal and physiological warfare to scare and put Taiwan into submission. Beijing also wants to justify its approach towards Taiwan both domestically and abroad. Moreover, this new law is China setting up the stage for Taiwan’s takeover. China also wants other countries to support its “One China” policy representing PRC as sole elected government of China and Taiwan. China is also pressing global south leaders to support Taiwan’s unification with China. Recently, Republic of Nauru and PRC asserted the One-China principle of re-unification of China. Similarly, Irish President Michael D. Higgins told Chinese premiere Xi Jinping that it abides by the One-China principle and hopes for peaceful re-unification of China. And again, there is a long list of countries such as Zambia, East Timor, Egypt, Tunisia, Bahrain, Pakistan and Malaysia, supporting China’s re-unification under the One-China principle.
The Unites States is well aware of China’s tactics and understands that China is pressing many smaller states to say things in support of its One-China principle in order to facilitate its smooth takeover of Taiwan. China wants to make sure that there is no resistance to its invasion of Taiwan if that happens and the death penalty scare is one of its many tactics to build pressure on the island nation.
Sun Lee is the pseudonym of a writer who covers Asia.
