China to introduce legal measures against 'Taiwan independence' diehards: spokesperson

BEIJING -- China will introduce legal measures to punish diehards whose actions and rhetoric aggressively promote "Taiwan independence," targeting activities that attempt to split the country or incite separation, a spokesperson said Wednesday.

"Taiwan independence" is a betrayal of the righteous cause of the Chinese nation and goes against the will of the people, seriously endangering the country's sovereignty, security, and development interests, said Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, at a regular press conference.

"We will never tolerate or appease such actions, nor will we turn a blind eye to them," Chen said.

Chen made these remarks in response to a question about the new "ruling team" of Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party authorities, which includes several strong advocates of "Taiwan independence." There are analyses suggesting that the risk of "Taiwan independence" will continue to rise, and the situation in the Taiwan Strait will become more complex and severe.