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Taiwan President Lai Ching-te speaks at the Republic of China (ROC) Military Academy during the academy's 100th anniversary ceremony in Kaohsiung on June 16, 2024. Sam Yeh, AFP

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Taiwan

Agence France-Presse

<div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17192119688231718557655164AFP__20240616__34WZ84D__v1__HighRes__TaiwanDefenceMilitaryAnniversary.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner"><sub>Taiwan President Lai Ching-te speaks at the Republic of China (ROC) Military Academy during the academy&#x27;s 100th anniversary ceremony in Kaohsiung on June 16, 2024. Sam Yeh, AFP</sub></span></span></span></div><p>TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwan&#x27;s President Lai Ching-te said Monday that China &quot;has no right to punish&quot; Taiwanese people for their views or advocacy, after Beijing warned &quot;diehard&quot; supporters of the island&#x27;s independence could face the death penalty.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/world/2024/6/22/china-warns-taiwan-separatists-could-be-given-death-sentence-1622" id="isPasted">• China warns Taiwan separatists could be given death sentence</a></div><p>China claims democratic Taiwan as part of its territory and has refused to rule out using force to bring the island under its control.</p><p>Beijing has stepped up pressure on Taipei in recent years and held military drills around the self-ruled island days after Lai&#x27;s inauguration last month.</p><p>On Friday, Beijing published new judicial guidelines that included the death penalty for &quot;particularly serious&quot; cases involving &quot;diehard&quot; supporters of Taiwanese independence, state media reported.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/world/2024/6/16/taiwan-president-says-chinas-strong-rise-is-greatest-challenge-105" id="isPasted">• Taiwan president says China&#x27;s &#x27;strong rise&#x27; is greatest challenge</a></div><p>When asked to comment on the guidelines, Lai said: &quot;I want to emphasize that democracy is not the source of crime. Autocracy is the crime.&quot;</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/world/2024/5/20/taiwan-swears-in-new-president-as-china-pressure-grows-901">• Taiwan swears in new president as China pressure grows</a></div><p>&quot;China has no right to punish the people of Taiwan just because of what they advocate. China has no right to pursue cross-border prosecution of Taiwanese people.&quot;</p><p>Lai warned that relations between the two sides would become &quot;more and more alienated&quot; if China does not &quot;face up to the existence of the Republic of China (Taiwan&#x27;s official name), and conduct exchanges and dialogues with Taiwan&#x27;s democratically elected and legitimate government&quot;.</p><p>&quot;This is the correct way to enhance the well-being of people on both sides&quot; of the Taiwan Strait, he said.</p><p>Lai&#x27;s Democratic Progressive Party has long asserted Taiwanese sovereignty, and Beijing has not conducted top-level communications with Taipei since 2016, when his predecessor Tsai Ing-wen came to power.</p><p>China has branded Lai a &quot;dangerous separatist&quot; and denounced his inaugural speech as a &quot;confession of Taiwan independence&quot;.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/world/2024/6/2/china-raps-us-for-aiding-taiwan-escalating-tensions-1449" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">• China raps US for aiding Taiwan, escalating tensions</a></div><p>During that speech, Lai signaled an openness to resuming dialogue with Beijing, calling for both sides to develop exchanges.</p><p>China, however, has appeared to rebuff those overtures.</p><p>It continues to maintain a near-daily presence of naval vessels and warplanes around the island, and Taiwan&#x27;s military said Monday that 23 Chinese warplanes and seven naval vessels had been detected in the last 24 hours.</p><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uVcHUBcLQ5w?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te said Monday that China "has no right to punish" Taiwanese people for their views or advocacy.</p>

Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te said Monday that China "has no right to punish" Taiwanese people for their views or advocacy.