China on Friday rolled out new punishments, including capital punishment, for what it considers to be ''Taiwan independence' diehards.'China's top court, public security ministries, justice ministry, and state prosecution body jointly issued an opinion listing broadly worded offenses.Penalties include prison terms ranging from three years to life and, in 'especially serious' cases, the death penalty, depending on the perceived severity of the offense.
When asked about the likelihood that China would use the rules to target the thousands of Taiwanese living in China, Bonnie Glaser, managing director of the Indo-Pacific Program at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, told Newsweek that they are not the primary target.'But it is possible that individuals could be arrested and charged based on this law. It may also have a chilling effect on foreigners who do research on Taiwan,' Glaser said.