On Friday, China announced that Taiwanese officials who favor the island’s independence will be held “criminally liable for life” and forbidden from entering or having any contact with the mainland.
The announcement by China’s Taiwan relations ministry comes amid rising military and diplomatic tensions with self-ruled Taiwan, which Beijing views as a renegade territory and has threatened to reunify with force if necessary.
For the first time, the declaration revealed that Beijing has compiled a list of those who fit into this group.
They were dubbed “diehard Taiwan independence separatists” by Chinese state media.
“Those on the list, together with their relatives, shall not be allowed to enter the mainland or the two special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao, and their affiliated institutions shall be prohibited from forming any cooperation with mainland organizations and individuals,” Taiwan affairs office spokesperson Zhu Fenglian said on Friday.
They will be held accountable for the rest of their lives and will be examined for criminal culpability in accordance with the law, according to Zhu. “Those who betray their nation and strive to split the country are doomed to fail, and they will be scorned by the people and judged by history,” Zhu said of the three individuals mentioned.
