Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te on June 24 responded to China’s guidelines which allow for the death penalty to be imposed as punishment for “hardliners” in the Taiwan independence movement, saying China “has no right to punish” Taiwanese people for their opinions and beliefs.

China announced new judicial guidelines on Monday that allow for the death penalty in “particularly serious” cases involving “strong” supporters of Taiwan independence, state media reported.

Asked to comment on the guidelines, Lai said, “I want to emphasize that democracy is not the root cause of crime. It is dictatorship that is the root cause of crime.”

He also warned that “China has no right to punish the claims of Taiwanese people, nor does it have the right to cross the border to prosecute Taiwanese people.”

He said that “the correct way to promote the well-being of the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait is for China to “recognize the existence of the Republic of China (Taiwan’s official name) and engage in exchanges and dialogue with Taiwan’s legitimate, democratically elected government.”

The footage was shot and provided by the Taiwan Presidential Office. (c)AFP