Mainland: punitive measures only aimed at marginal forces in Taiwan

A mainland spokesperson on Friday said recently released judicial guidelines on criminal punishments were intended only to target diehard "Taiwan independence" separatists, brushing off Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) attempts to "distort" their purposes.

The DPP authorities have continuously perverted and smeared the judicial measures, deliberately conflating the vast majority of Taiwan compatriots with the marginal "Taiwan independence" elements, said Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, at a press conference.

They have been spreading rumors, creating panic and coercing the general populace into supporting "Taiwan independence," Chen said.

From headline to text, the judicial document has made clear that those measures only apply to criminal acts such as organizing, plotting or carrying out schemes of "de jure independence," or seeking independence by relying on foreign support or by force, the spokesperson said.

It has been formulated strictly in accordance with the law, precisely targeting individuals and not involving the majority of Taiwan compatriots, Chen added.

He said any political party, organization or individual in Taiwan that does not seek to split the country and recognizes that both sides of the Taiwan Straits are Chinese and part of one family will face no obstacles in engaging with the mainland. 

For those who previously went astray by supporting "Taiwan independence" but have since undergone a significant positive change in their stance, partial or even full exemption from criminal liability can be granted according to the law, as long as they cease engaging in separatist activities and take concrete measures to mitigate or eliminate harmful consequences, Chen said.