Beijing to toughen punishment for Taiwan’s pro-independence forces, officials say

State Council’s Taiwan Affairs Office stresses peaceful reunification with the island still Beijing’s top priority

Beijing is unlikely to specify circumstances for taking ‘non-peaceful’ action against Taiwan, expert says

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Taiwan Affairs Office spokeswoman Zhu Fenglian said new legal measures would be introduced “to oppose and contain separatist attempts”. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 6:01pm, 21 Sep 2022Updated: 7:32pm, 21 Sep 2022

Beijing will continue to step up punishment for Taiwanese pro-independence forces, while stressing that peaceful reunification with the island is still the mainland’s top priority, officials in charge of Beijing’s Taiwan policies said on Wednesday.

Forceful measures are needed to deter Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party and the United States from hollowing out the one-China principle, the officials said, adding that those measures would not affect the interests of other nations.

“We will, according to the development and changes of the situation, further introduce new legal measures to oppose and contain separatist attempts and acts of ‘Taiwan independence’, and resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests,” said Zhu Fenglian, spokeswoman for the State Council’s Taiwan Affairs Office.

Zhu’s remarks came as tensions across the Taiwan Strait escalate, especially following a trip by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to the island in August. In response, Beijing sanctioned Pelosi, her immediate family members, and seven Taiwanese government officials and politicians.

The sanctioned Taiwanese officials and their family members are not allowed to enter mainland China, Hong Kong or Macau, and organisations they are affiliated with are banned from cooperating with mainland organisations or individuals.

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