TAIPEI - Legal guidelines issued last week by China to punish actions that promote Taiwan independence are largely symbolic, but would likely put the Taiwanese off visiting China, say analysts.for what it called “die-hard” Taiwan independence separatists.
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council noted on June 21 that China’s “so-called laws and regulations have no binding force on our people”, describing Beijing’s move as detrimental to exchanges between the two sides of the strait. “It does not mean that those countries would necessarily extradite Taiwanese to China, but the risk could be higher in some African, Middle Eastern and South-east Asian countries,” he said.For example, the guidelines threaten to punish any attempt to “suppress” parties, groups or people who support reunification or the peaceful development of cross-strait relations, or “distorting the fact” that Taiwan is a part of China via education and news media.
“Going by the logic of Taiwan Affairs Office, the 23 million people of Taiwan who voted to select their own president could all be considered pro-independence,” said Mr Lin Yu-chang, secretary-general of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party . “The wording and who the targets are, are all very vague. Does this mean that foreign dignitaries and foreign think-tanks who speak up for Taiwan’s status quo could also face Chinese criminal prosecution?” said Dr Wang Chih-sheng from the Asia-Pacific Elite Interchange Association, a Taiwanese think-tank.