cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/705089
Chinese authorities have recently announced legal changes that could impose harsh sanctions, including the death penalty, on individuals working “at separating Taiwan from China.” Beijing sees the self-ruled island as part of its own territory and has hinted at the possibility of using violence to subdue any attempts at pursuing indepedence.
Former Taiwanese legislator Chen Jiau-hua, already blacklisted by Beijing as one of the “stubborn separatists,” told DW she was not intimidated by the new measures. Instead, the set of guidelines revealed last month simply made her grow “even more resentful” towards China.
“I think Taiwanese people shouldn’t be afraid and threatened by these guidelines. Nor should they surrender to an authoritarian regime,” Chen said.
Some of the legal changes, however, are not easily dismissed. Beijing courts can now pass sentences, including life imprisonment or the death penalty, to “Taiwan independence” supporters who are convicted of conducting or inciting secession.
China says its new guidelines are targeting a “very small number of diehard ‘Taiwan independence’ separatists.”
These are not new laws. They are “guidelines” to the old ones. DemocracyWatch and one activist are the ones panicking. The article itself is at least balanced enough to have a voice that pretty explicitly says nothing has changed and this is just the usual theatre.
That’s the crux of it. This repeated desire to make scary headlines out of political theatre when both sides play political pretend - that one of these days the Mongolian representatives will show up to Taiwan’s parliament; that China doesn’t recognise Taiwan when as you said they literally do every day. All to be forgotten in 6 months when none of it comes true but by then there’ll be another story to replace it. Not only that but you’re not even the target audience - it’s for American readers, who need to be reminded that intervening in a civil war on the other side of the planet is Good and Freedom and Worthy.
Your suggestion that that is the “modern position of Taiwan” fails to mention that that is the position of one political party that’s had power for less than a decade and whose leader got 6.5% more than a party with a different view back in January.
I am sure you worry about your safety - I would suggest that being told you are a pawn in a geopolitical game for a dying empire should be pretty scary.
You mean the leader who when elected, the CCP fired ballistic missiles all around Taiwan? Yes I didn’t mention that because it’s not relevant, maybe you’ve forgotten but that’s kind of how democracies work. It’s the position of Taiwan and has been for a while now.
And I would suggest being a CCP apologist is pretty pathetic, it seems for you being the pawn of a dying empire is just a way to pass the time online. Good for you I guess.