China hit three top Taiwanese politicians with what it says are punishments that could be followed by criminal prosecution, as Beijing seeks to retaliate against Taipei’s overtures for greater international support.
Premier Su Tseng-chang, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, Legislative Yuan President You Si-kun and their relatives are all banned from entering the mainland, Hong Kong and Macau, the Taiwan Affairs Office in Beijing said in a statement Friday. The trio — and any entities affiliated with them — would also be prohibited from working with mainland-based organizations and individuals, while companies linked to them would be barred from making profits there.
The Taiwan Affairs Office accused Su, Wu and You of "fanning up hostility across the Taiwan Strait and maliciously smearing the mainland,” without naming the island’s president, Tsai Ing-wen. "Those who forget their heritage, betray their motherland and seek to split the country will come to no good end,” it said.