Beijing recently announced new judicial guidelines centered around punishing Taiwanese independence activists. In a press release on Wednesday, Taiwan Presidential Office Spokesperson Lii Wen (李問) responded to U.S. State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller’s comments on the matter.

Last Friday, China revealed “22 Opinions” to punish Taiwan independence activists, the most severe of which is the death sentence. Later that day, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) took to social media, writing that China has no right to sanction Taiwanese people for their political opinions or pursue prosecution across borders.  He emphasized that he believes democracy is not a crime, and autocracy is what’s truly malicious.

At a press conference on Monday, Miller responded by stating that the United States strongly condemns any Chinese officials’ words and actions that escalate tensions and undermine stability. He said that the U.S. urges refraining from unilaterally changing the status quo.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Lii thanked Miller for condemning China’s remarks and underscored how violent threats that target Taiwanese people for their beliefs are unhelpful in maintaining peace. Lii additionally calls upon the world to denounce China’s weaponization of domestic laws.