Chinese Ministry of State Security

 
Chinese authorities on June 21, 2024 issued a set of judicial guidelines on imposing criminal penalties on diehard "Taiwan independence" separatists for conducting or inciting secession. Over the past year, the guidelines have provided a powerful legal tool for defending national sovereignty and territorial integrity, sending a clear and severe warning to "Taiwan independence" separatist forces, and fully demonstrated the firm determination and powerful measures to safeguard national reunification in accordance with the law, the Ministry of State Security (MSS) said on Saturday.

The guidelines were jointly issued by the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate, and the ministries of public security, state security, and justice.

In August 2024, the Intermediate People's Court of Wenzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province, sentenced Yang Chih-yuan to nine years in prison and deprivation of political rights for three years for the crime of splitting his country, marking the first case to apply this offence since the guidelines were issued. This served as a concrete deterrent to radical "Taiwan independence" forces in Taiwan, the MSS posted on its WeChat account on Saturday. 

In February this year, the Shanghai No 1 Intermediate People's Court sentenced Li Yanhe, chief editor of Taiwan-based Gusa Publishing, to three years in prison, deprivation of political rights for one year, and confiscation of 50,000 yuan ($6,971) in personal property for the crime of inciting secession. 

Departments including the MSS have publicly named multiple members of Taiwan's cyber warfare unit who participated in planning, commanding, and carrying out cyberattacks, theft of secrets, and infiltration and subversion against the mainland, resolutely thwarting attempts to "pursue independence through cyber means" and producing a strong deterrent effect, the MSS said.

These actions fully demonstrate that lawfully punishing "Taiwan independence" diehards has not only safeguarded the authority of national law but also drastically reduced the operational space of "Taiwan independence" separatist forces. They have made the lie of "de jure Taiwan independence" collapse in the face of facts and deepened the public's awareness of the concept of "curbing Taiwan independence through law," the ministry said.

In pursuit of partisan self-interest, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities have engaged in "green terror" against the residents of Taiwan Island, harshly suppressing dissidents, and turned a blind eye to the people's well-being. They cling to and fawn over the US and the West, relying on foreign powers to bolster oneself, discarding national righteousness, and willingly serving as a "vanguard" for anti-China forces to contain China. They refuse to recognize the "1992 Consensus," slander and distort the "One Country, Two Systems" principle, treat cross-Straits peace as a trifle, and continuously pursue "Taiwan independence" provocations, the MSS slammed. 

The DPP's perverse actions and obvious crimes will only turn Taiwan into a "powder keg" and "ammunition depot," putting Taiwan residents in the abyss of war. Following the "Taiwan independence" chariot will only make one a tool for the DPP to abuse their power for private gain, will only become cannon fodder for the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces to "use force to seek independence," and will only degenerate into historical sinners of the Chinese nation, the ministry warned. 

In recent years, following special operations such as "2018—Thunder" and "Thunderbolt—2020", state security authorities have continued to take forceful actions, successively cracking down major Taiwan-related espionage cases, dismantling a number of spy networks established on the Chinese mainland, and lawfully punishing acts of intelligence infiltration and separatist sabotage, thus effectively safeguarding national security, it said. 

State security authorities will continue to resolutely implement the requirements of the guidelines, fully fulfill their duties, crack down on the illegal and criminal acts of "Taiwan independence" diehards in accordance with the law, confront the arrogance of "Taiwan independence" separatist forces and external interfering forces, and resolutely defend national sovereignty, security, and development interests, so as to provide strong support for the realization of complete national reunification and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, the MSS vowed.