Taiwan urges China to reconsider actions amid reports of “diehard independence separatists”

Taipei has urged Beijing to reconsider its actions after China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) announced it had received numerous reports on individuals labelled as “diehard Taiwan independence separatists.”

Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), the top government agency handling cross-strait affairs from the Taiwanese side, said on Wednesday, “No matter how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) investigates, wrong actions will only lead to wrong outcomes,” Focus Taiwan reported.

“We urge the CCP to turn back before it’s too late and promote positive cross-strait interactions as the right approach,” it added.

The MAC issued its statement in reaction to earlier comments from Chen Binhua, the spokesperson for TAO, which is the Chinese government agency responsible for cross-strait relations.

According to Focus Taiwan, Chen announced that after creating a reporting system for “diehard Taiwan independence separatists,” the agency had received “hundreds of tips” from individuals on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

The TAO spokesperson also stated that Chinese government agencies will “thoroughly verify and investigate” these reports.

Chen was referring to a page on TAO’s official website listing 12 “diehard Taiwan independence separatists.”

The list features Taiwan’s current Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim, who is the highest-ranking official included, along with Taiwanese businessman Robert Tsao and Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Puma Shen Focus Taiwan reported.

Referring to the inclusion of Tsao and Shen on the public list on October 14, Chen stated that “punishing” these individuals is “a just action” that can “uphold national sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as protect the essential interests of people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.”

In turn, the MAC dismissed the significance of the “Taiwan independence list,” asserting that it holds no real meaning regardless of the number of names included.