China: ‘Diehard’ backers of Taiwan autonomy criminally liable for life

China will make people who support Taiwan independence criminally liable for life.

The Taiwan Affairs Office in Beijing warned on Friday that "the mainland will pursue criminal responsibility for Taiwan independence diehards in accordance with the law, to be effective for life".

The statement by spokesperson Zhu Fenglian named Taiwanese Premier Su Tseng-chang, parliament speaker Yu Shyi-kun and Foreign Minister Joseph Wu as among a minority of independence supporters.

China will enforce punishment on the people on the list, by not letting them enter the mainland and China's Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau Zhusaid in a statement.

The blacklisted people will not be allowed to cooperate with entities or people from the mainland, nor will their companies or entities who fund them be allowed to profit from the mainland, she said.

Unprecedented move

This is the first time that China has spelt out concretely punishment for people deemed to be pro-Taiwan independence, as tensions rise between the mainland and the self-ruled island China claims as its own.

Taiwanese politicians typically rely on donations from companies to fund their election campaigns. Many Taiwanese companies derive profits from doing business with the mainland.

China will also take "any other necessary measures" against these people, Zhu said.

She said the message China wants to send to supporters of Taiwan independence is: "Those who forget their ancestors, betray the motherland and split the country, will never end up well and will be spurned by the people and judged by history."

This is the first time that China has spelt out concretely punishment for people deemed to be pro-Taiwan independence, as tensions rise between the mainland and the self-ruled island China claims as its own.

China claims Taiwan as its territory – to be seized one day, by force if necessary -- and has intensified efforts in recent years to isolate the self-ruled island on the international stage.

READ MORE: China vows no concessions on Taiwan after Biden comments