Beijing’s plan to punish sponsors of blacklisted figures has potential to reshape Taiwan politics

Financial and political backers of those on Beijing’s blacklist will be banned from travelling to the mainland or doing business there

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and Vice-President Lai Ching-te are not included on the list, which observers said still allowed room for cross-strait talks

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Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen was not included on Beijing’s blacklist of Taiwan’s pro-independence figures – but observers say she could be in future. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 3:11pm, 12 Nov 2021Updated: 11:12pm, 12 Nov 2021

Beijing will update its blacklist of Taiwan pro-independence figures to further deter both political and capital support flowing to the camp, but the absence of Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen from the list allows room for future cross-strait interaction, mainland observers said.

The sponsors of people blacklisted – those who fund their election campaigns – will be banned from doing business on the mainland, which observers said was likely to have a strong deterrent effect and might affect future Taiwan elections.

For the first time, Beijing spelt out the punishment for people seen as part of the “diehard” Taiwanese pro-independence force, according to a mainland statement on November 5.

It came as tensions in the strait were escalating, especially since last month. On Tuesday, Beijing staged a joint combat readiness patrol towards Taiwan after US lawmakers arrived on the island on a US Navy plane.

Beijing sees the island as a breakaway province to be reunited by force if necessary. Three top officials – Taiwanese Premier Su Tseng-chang, Legislative Yuan president Yu Shyi-kun and Foreign Minister Joseph Wu – were named on the blacklist for “vigorously inciting cross-strait confrontation and malicious attacks against the mainland”, according to the statement from the Taiwan Affairs Office in Beijing.

Taiwan's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu speaks in the Czech Republic after his meeting with the Prague Mayor Zdenek Hoib. Photo: CTK/DPA

China will punish those on the list and their relatives by not letting them enter the mainland and its special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau, and restricting them and their affiliates from cooperating with organisations and individuals on the mainland.