On the morning of 26 June, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council held a regular press briefing, at which spokesperson Zhu Fenglian answered reporters' questions on recent cross-strait hot issues.
Will those on the island who have changed their "Taiwan independence" stance be held criminally responsible?
Reporter: Will the mainland still hold some people on the island criminally responsible for advocating "Taiwan independence" in the past but whose stance has changed?
Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council: The "Opinions on Punishing "Taiwan Independence" Diehards for Separatism and Inciting Separatism in Accordance with the Law have been formulated in strict accordance with the law, insisting on blending leniency with severity and punishing them as their crimes. If "Taiwan independence" diehards voluntarily abandon their "Taiwan independence" separatist stance, no longer carry out "Taiwan independence" separatist activities, and take measures to mitigate or eliminate harmful consequences or prevent the harm from expanding, and meet the relevant regulations, they may not be prosecuted for some or even all of their criminal responsibility in accordance with the law.
Responding to the issue of the validity of judicial documents to punish Taiwan independence diehards
Reporter: Earlier, after the mainland announced the list of "Taiwan independence" diehards and the sanctions, the Taiwan Mainland Affairs Council said that "the two sides of the strait are not subordinate to each other, and the sanctions are illegal and invalid." How will the "Opinions on Punishing 'Taiwan Independence' Diehards for Separatism and Inciting Separatist Crimes" issued by the mainland take effect on Taiwan?
Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council: Taiwan is a part of China, which is an irrefutable legal fact and a universal consensus of the international community. The state's punishment of "Taiwan independence" diehards for splitting the country and inciting separatism in accordance with the law has a solid legal foundation and sufficient legal basis, and is the proper duty to defend national sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity, as well as a just move to safeguard the common interests of compatriots on both sides of the strait and the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation. No matter where they are, the state law enforcement and judicial organs will pursue them to the end and severely punish them according to law.
In response, Taiwanese students do not know that Dayu controls the water
Reporter: According to Taiwan media reports, a parent in Taiwan recently said that he talked to his child in high school about "Dayu controlling the water", but he didn't expect the child to know who Dayu was, which made the parents unbelievable and questioned "whether the '108 syllabus' is in power". Do you have any comment on this?
Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council: From "not knowing what Chinese history is" to not knowing "who Dayu is", the "drug curriculum" that the DPP authorities insist on implementing is gradually distancing Taiwan's young people from the roots of Chinese culture and arousing deep concern in Taiwan society. The compatriots on both sides of the strait belong to the Chinese nation, and Chinese culture is the common spiritual root of the compatriots on both sides of the strait. No one can deprive Taiwan compatriots of their right to receive education in Chinese culture and to understand the history of the nation. The summer vacation is approaching, we warmly welcome Taiwan compatriots, especially Taiwan youths, to come to the mainland, listen to the story of Dayu's water control in Beichuan, Sichuan, Dayu's hometown, go to Yongzhou, Hunan Province to read Liu Zongyuan's "Travels to the West Mountain Banquet", go to Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province to copy Wang Xizhi's "Lanting Collection Preface", and think about the battle of Chibi in Chibi, Hubei. What has been erased from Taiwan's textbooks can be found, seen, and experienced in the mainland.
In response to the island's Internet celebrities falsely claiming that the mainland is throwing money at Taiwan's cultural united front
Reporter: The island's Internet celebrity "King Porter" claimed that starting in late July, more and more Taiwanese Internet celebrities will travel to the mainland to make films, and the organizer of the reception is the Cross-Strait Youth Association, and the invitation is to participate in the Cross-Strait Youth Culture Month, which is the mainland's "throwing money at Taiwan's cultural united front". Do you have any comment on this?
Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council: You may have noticed that on social platforms such as YouTube and Xiaohongshu, videos of foreign bloggers traveling to the mainland through the 144-hour visa-free policy have become very popular, with a total of more than 1 billion views. As a matter of fact, it is more convenient for Taiwan compatriots to come to the mainland, and they can take a trip at any time to "just go." Taiwan compatriots can come without a visa as long as they hold a Taiwan compatriot permit, and use Taiwan's mobile phone number and bank card to bind Alipay or WeChat and other application software for fast mobile payment, and take the high-speed rail to reach 95% of the cities with a population of more than 500,000, enjoy the magnificent natural scenery of the mainland, feel the long history and culture, taste delicious special food, experience the vigorous economy and technology, and enjoy the progressive social life. Many self-media figures in Taiwan have recorded or are sharing what they have seen and heard on the mainland through videos, so as to enhance mutual understanding between compatriots on both sides of the strait and dissolve the estrangement and misunderstanding between them. The Internet has a memory, and the Internet celebrity you mentioned has also come to the mainland for exchange and tourism many times. As long as he is willing to come to the mainland to spread positive energy, we welcome him to come again. However, if we arbitrarily buckle our hats and intimidate our peers, I believe that the people on both sides of the strait will not support it.
In response, the DPP said that Mazu and others were united front tools
Reporter: The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) recently held a forum to discuss the so-called "how the mainland can influence Taiwan's election through the Mazu Temple". The MAC said that not only Mazu, but also Emperor Baosheng, Emperor Guan, and Emperor Shennong are "tools of the Chinese Communists' united front against Taiwan." This remark has caused an uproar in public opinion on the island, which believes that the DPP authorities are once again making excuses for obstructing cross-strait exchanges. Do you have any comment on this?
Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council: The culture of the two sides of the strait has the same root and origin, and the vast number of Taiwan believers continue to go to the ancestral temples on the mainland to worship their ancestors and seek their roots, and pray for peace. We have consistently promoted cross-strait exchanges, including exchanges of folk beliefs. The DPP authorities have repeatedly and unreasonably obstructed the normal cross-strait cultural exchanges of religion and folk beliefs, causing strong dissatisfaction among the vast number of palaces, temples, and believers on the island. The DPP authorities falsely accuse Mazu and other folk beliefs as "tools of the united front," which is a great disrespect to the religious circles on both sides of the strait and a blasphemy against Mazu and other folk beliefs.
Responding to U.S. arms sales to Taiwan of $360 million
Reporter: The DPP authorities are grateful to the DPP authorities for their recent decision to sell arms sales worth about $360 million to China's Taiwan region. Do you have any comment on this?
Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council: We firmly oppose US arms sales to China's Taiwan region. The DPP authorities, out of political selfish interests, use the hard-earned money of the Taiwan compatriots to buy weapons in a vain attempt to "seek independence by relying on the United States" and "seeking independence by force." This will only bring danger to the Taiwan region and bring grave calamities to the Taiwan compatriots. The DPP authorities should immediately stop harming the vital interests of the Taiwan compatriots and their acts of endangering peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
The United States has repeatedly sold arms to Taiwan in an attempt to draw the flames of war to Taiwan with sinister intentions. We urge the US side to abide by the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communiques, especially the "August 17 Communique," stop arms sales to Taiwan, stop arming Taiwan, and stop sending any wrong signals to "Taiwan independence" separatist forces.
China News Service synthesizes from @日月Tantian, CCTV news client, China News Network, etc