A US government spokesperson on Friday labeled a recent call from the Chinese government asking people to report "Taiwan independence" advocates "irresponsible and reprehensible."
"China's call for private individuals to report on alleged 'persecution or suppression' by supposed 'Taiwan independence henchmen and accomplices' is irresponsible and reprehensible," an unnamed US Department of State spokesperson said in an e-mail.
Photo: Reuters
The spokesperson said the latest move is part of Beijing's "intimidation campaign" against Taiwan and its supporters and is "threatening free speech around the world, destabilizing the Indo-Pacific region and deliberately eroding the cross-strait status quo."
The spokesperson said that the Chinese Communist Party's "threats and legal pressure only exacerbate tensions and undermine cross-strait peace and stability."
"The United States will continue to support Taiwan in the face of China's provocative and irresponsible actions," it added.
The remarks were made after China's Taiwan Affairs Office announced last week that it was launching a new section on its official Web site on Wednesday last week.
According to China's state-run Xinhua News Agency, the section allows people to report "vile acts by those advocating 'Taiwan independence' and their accomplices in persecuting Taiwan compatriots."
Office spokesperson Chen Binhua (陳斌華) said that certain organizations, government officials and online influencers have acted as enforcers of "Taiwan independence" and their accomplices, "abetting wrongdoing and facilitating aggression," the Xinhua report read.
Later on Wednesday, the office issued a news release saying that as of 5pm, it had received 323 e-mails reporting people for "vile acts" such as "threatening to disband patriotic pro-unification groups and openly infringing on the legitimate rights of Chinese spouses in Taiwan."
People reported included Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳), prosecutor Lin Ta (林達) of the Taipei District Prosecutors' Office, and YouTubers Pa Chiung (八炯) and Chen Po-yuan (陳柏源).
The Mainland Affairs Council on Thursday last week criticized Beijing for launching the new section of the Web site, calling the move "a full-scale interference in Taiwan's internal affairs."
"It also proves that Taiwan must remain vigilant," council Deputy Minister and spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said.
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