TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) said on Wednesday (Oct. 16) that its reporting mailbox has received hundreds of tip-offs about Taiwan “independence separatists.”
In September, TAO set up a reporting mechanism to receive tips about people supposedly inciting Taiwanese independence. TAO Spokesperson Chen Binhua (陳斌華) said that “hundreds of clues” have already been sent to its mailbox from people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, per CNA.
Chen said all reports from the public will be carefully verified with the relevant departments. "We will never let a single Taiwan independence element off the hook, but we will never wrongly accuse good people either," he added.
Chen said punishing such individuals was intended to safeguard territorial integrity. It was also in the interests of both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
Chen also accused the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government of seeking independence and deliberately escalating cross-strait tensions.
In response on Wednesday, Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said, "We urge the CCP to turn back before it's too late and promote positive cross-strait interactions as the right approach.” It added, "No matter how the Chinese Communist Party investigates, wrong actions will only lead to wrong outcomes.”
TAO's website currently lists 12 "diehard” Taiwan independence separatists, including Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴). On Monday (Oct. 14), China added Taiwanese businessperson Robert Tsao (曹興誠) and DPP Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋) to the list over their involvement in Kuma Academy.