- China officially says supporting Taiwanese independence could be a crime.
- Penalties include imprisonment for 10 years or more and the death penalty.
- This is the first time that China has so explicitly set out a set of legal guidelines aimed at Taiwan.
China on Friday released a list defining support for Taiwanese independence as criminal offences that can be punishable by death.
The country's highest legal institutions, including the Supreme Court, the prosecution and three government ministries, issued a joint statement ordering courts and prosecutions at all levels of China to “severely punish 'Taiwan independence' hardliners.”
The guidelines are China's first to make support for Taiwan independence a criminal offense, highlighting Beijing's hardening stance toward the island's autonomous government.
Declaring Taiwan's independence has long been a red line set by Beijing that must not be crossed.
The broad definition of the crime includes promoting the idea of ”two Chinas” or “one China, one Taiwan” and organizing efforts to achieve Taiwanese independence, as well as relying on “foreign forces” or agencies to achieve independence.
Notably, the list criminalizes any official attempt to undermine the notion that Taiwan is part of China “in the fields of education, culture, history, journalism, etc.”
Penalties include up to 10 years in prison or detention, although this limit will be lifted for leading organisations seeking to support Taiwanese independence.
Officials added that crimes deemed “particularly heinous” could carry the death penalty.
The new guidelines were announced just one month after Taiwan's new President, Lai Ching-te, took office on May 20.
Lai's party, the Democratic Progressive Party, is focused on pushing back against China, and his rise to power this year has led to an increasingly aggressive stance from Beijing.
Since Lai took office in May, Chinese troops have conducted live-fire drills around Taiwan, and China has also issued a series of official statements and scenario videos suggesting it could attack Taiwan.
China has no legal jurisdiction over Taiwan, but recommendations like those issued on Friday are likely to deal a further blow to Taiwanese businesses.
Taiwan has already stopped supporting a long-standing tourism program to China, citing concerns that it may not be safe for its citizens to travel to mainland China.
In addition, Taiwan's investment in China, which had been on an upward trend in the second half of the 2000s, has plummeted to its lowest level since 2001.
In 2023, Taiwan's new spending in China is expected to fall nearly 40% to $3.06 billion, despite reporting a record investment of $26.6 billion that year.
Meanwhile, Chinese companies rapidly increased their investments in the U.S. from $1.1 billion in 2022 to $9.7 billion the following year.
