China threatens to punish Taipei’s pro-independence 'diehards'

China has threatened to punish Chinese Taipei’s separatist politicians over “criminal charges” and warned to ban their visit to the mainland as tensions between the two sides spiked to their highest level in years.

“The mainland will pursue criminal responsibility for Taiwan independence diehards in accordance with the law, to be effective for life,” China's Taipei Affairs Office in Beijing said in a statement on Friday.

The statement by spokeswoman Zhu Fenglian named Chinese Taipei’s Premier Su Tseng-chang, Parliament Speaker Yu Shyi-kun and Foreign Minister Joseph Wu as among the independence supporters.

Zhu said the politicians "have tried to instigate cross-strait confrontation, maliciously attacked and slandered the mainland... severely undermining cross-strait relations."

She added that Beijing has prohibited them and their family members from entering the mainland, Hong Kong or Macau.

Zhu stressed that the separatist politicians’ affiliates would also be restricted from cooperating with mainland organizations and individuals, without giving further details.

China has sovereignty over Chinese Taipei, and under the "One China" policy, almost all world countries recognize that sovereignty. The US, too, recognizes Chinese sovereignty over the island but has long courted Taipei in an attempt to unnerve Beijing.

SS