BEIJING, May 15 (Xinhua) -- China will introduce legal measures to punish diehards whose actions and rhetoric aggressively promote "Taiwan independence," targeting activities that attempt to split the country or incite separation, a spokesperson said Wednesday.
"Taiwan independence" is a betrayal of the righteous cause of the Chinese nation and goes against the will of the people, seriously endangering the country's sovereignty, security, and development interests, said Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, at a regular press conference.
"We will never tolerate or appease such actions, nor will we turn a blind eye to them," Chen said.
Chen made these remarks in response to a question about the new "ruling team" of Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party authorities, which includes several strong advocates of "Taiwan independence." There are analyses suggesting that the risk of "Taiwan independence" will continue to rise, and the situation in the Taiwan Strait will become more complex and severe.
Chen said that the national legal measures to punish "Taiwan independence" are targeted at a tiny number of separatists seeking "Taiwan independence" and their separatist activities, and by no means at the compatriots in Taiwan.
In response to a question about certain Taiwan "pundits" fabricating false information and spreading rumors to smear the mainland, Chen identified five individuals by name, saying that for some time, a handful of Taiwan "pundits" have disregarded the facts of the mainland development and progress, deliberately fabricated false and negative information about the mainland, and extensively disseminated it through television, the internet, newspapers, and other media.
Chen said their erroneous remarks have misled some people on the island, provoked hostility and confrontation between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, and harmed the feelings of compatriots across the Strait.
The mainland will legally impose punitive measures on the five individuals and their families, he said. ■
