U.S. condemns China's latest move toward Taiwan as 'destabilizing'

Washington, June 24 (CNA) The United States has condemned China's "escalatory and destabilizing language and actions" toward Taiwan after Beijing recently announced new judicial guidelines focused on punishing those who support Taiwan independence.

During a Department of State press briefing Monday, spokesman Matthew Miller was asked about the People's Republic of China's (PRC) guidelines released on June 21 that included the death sentence for people deemed as "diehard" advocates of Taiwan independence.

"We strongly condemn the escalatory and destabilizing language and actions from PRC officials," Miller said. "We continue to urge restraint and no unilateral change to the status quo."

The U.S. urges the PRC to "engage in meaningful dialogue with Taiwan," Miller said, adding that "threats and legal warfare will not achieve peaceful resolution to cross-strait differences."

Under the new guidelines, courts in China will be allowed to try "Taiwan independence separatists" in absentia.

"Diehard" advocates of Taiwan independence who are convicted of inciting secession or committing other "serious crimes" may be sentenced to death, according to the new judicial guidelines, China's state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.

The guidelines, which detail "the criminal nature of 'Taiwan independence' separatist acts, their criminal liabilities, and the procedure to impose penalties," can be regarded as "a refinement and supplement" to China's 2005 Anti-Secession Law, according to Xinhua.

Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) responded on Monday to China's move, saying that "I want to stress that democracy is not a crime whereas autocracy is."

China, he said, has no right nor jurisdiction to punish Taiwanese people for expressing their opinions or stances.

"According to China's logic, not supporting unification equates to supporting Taiwan independence," he said, and he called on China to accept the existence of the Republic of China and engage in exchanges with Taiwan's legal, democratically elected government.