Punishment of independence forces 'legal and reasonable'

China’s Taiwan Affairs Office says the punishment of Taiwan independence advocates is “legal and reasonable” amid raised tensions in the Taiwan Strait following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the island.

Describing Pelosi’s visit as a threat to China’ sovereignty, the State Council’s agency singled out the island’s de facto ambassador to the US, Hsiao Bi-khim, as a target for “punishment of history” for promoting Pelosi’s visit.

The office said Hsiao, who attended President Joe Biden’s inauguration in January last year, had “openly provoked the one-China principle,” a US policy that maintains informal relations and defense ties with the Taiwan government but does not recognize the island as a sovereign nation.

In doing so, Hsiao had “seriously damaged cross-strait relations and raised political tensions in the Taiwan Strait,” the office said.

Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Ma Xiaoguang called Pelosi’s “sneak visit” to Taiwan “provocative” and a threat to Chinese “national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

“The Taiwan question is not a regional affair, but part of the internal affairs of China.”

He added that deploying countermeasures to punish pro-independence forces and protect China’s territorial integrity is“justified.”

On Wednesday, Ma said Beijing will take disciplinary actions against the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy and the Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund, and ban them from financially cooperating with mainland companies and individuals.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi condemned Pelosi’s Taiwan trip yesterday at a meeting of Association of Southeast Asian foreign ministers in Cambodia, calling the move “manic, irresponsible and highly irrational.”

Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s pro- Beijing heavyweights said the SAR government will support the mainland – for instance by imposing sanctions on Taiwan.

But such actions will not be made before authorities are given the green light, following discussions between local and central governments.

Lau Siu-kai, vice president of semi-official Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies think tank, said the SAR’s issue in the past was that its goals were not aligned with Beijing’s, but local authorities’ chorus of condemnation has “demonstrated that Hong Kong is a part of China.”

Hong Kong’s sole delegate at the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, Tam Yiu-chung, said: “It’s normal for our government officials to voice their opinions as this incident involves the sovereignty of the nation.”

Lau said Beijing would have to hold discussions with local authorities before making a decision on whether assistance from local authorities is needed to take any concrete action, such as sanctions, while Tam said such decisions are made by Beijing but not Hong Kong.

Tam’s predecessor Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai, former National People’s Congress delegate, said Hong Kong government officials’ public condemnation of Pelosi’s Taiwan visit was “not inappropriate” as they did not violate the Basic Law.

“Hong Kong citizens should not think that taking a stance will be bad for us, or that officials should not take a stance,” she said.

“I think they should, as every Chinese person should protect China’s territorial integrity.”

cjames.lee@singtaonewscorp.com