Mushfiqul Fazal AnsareyWASHINGTON— At a June 24 State Department briefing, correspondent Mushfiqul Fazal Ansarey raised concerns over China’s recent judicial guidelines imposing severe penalties, including the death penalty, on those supporting Taiwan’s independence. The new measures have sparked international outcry and heightened tensions in the Taiwan Strait.
“China issued new judicial guidelines on Friday that include the death penalty for those supporting Taiwan’s independence. Taiwan’s president said China has no right to punish and that democracy is not a crime. So what is your stance?” Ansarey asked.
“We strongly condemn the escalatory and destabilizing language and actions from PRC officials. We continue to urge restraint and no unilateral change to the status quo. And we urge the PRC to engage in meaningful dialogue with Taiwan. Threats and legal warfare will not achieve a peaceful resolution to cross-strait differences,” Spokesperson Matthew Miller responded.
On Friday, China intensified its pressure on Taiwan by issuing new legal guidelines aimed at punishing those it claims support the island’s formal independence. These guidelines come despite Chinese courts having no jurisdiction over the democratically governed island.
Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen responded firmly, stating that democracy is not a crime and criticizing China’s overreach. She emphasized, “China has absolutely no right to sanction Taiwan’s people just because of the positions they hold. What’s more, China has no right to go after Taiwan people’s rights across borders.”
Concurrently, there has been a marked increase in Chinese military activity near Taiwan. From Thursday to Sunday, Taiwan detected 115 Chinese military aircraft operating in close proximity, some as near as 31 nautical miles from the southern tip of the island. Taiwan asserts that China has been conducting regular military activities around the island for the past four years as part of a “gray zone” pressure campaign.
China has long stated that any move by Taiwan to declare formal independence would be grounds for military action. However, Taiwan maintains that it is already an independent country, the Republic of China, established after the Republican government fled to Taiwan in 1949 following the civil war against Mao Zedong’s Communists. The State Department’s condemnation of China’s new judicial guidelines and its call for restraint and dialogue highlight the U.S. commitment to supporting Taiwan’s democratic governance and ensuring stability in the region. As tensions continue to escalate, the international community remains vigilant in advocating for peaceful resolutions to cross-strait differences.
