Photo taken on July 21, 2019 from Xiangshan Mountain shows the Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taipei, southeast China's Taiwan. Photo: Xinhua

Hammer finally was hit on "Taiwan independence" diehards. A spokesperson of the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee on Tuesday announced sanctions on "Taiwan independence" diehards on a Chinese mainland's list. This news was greatly hailed on the internet. The mainland web users often warned active "Taiwan independence" diehards should be careful of being put on a sanction list. Now the list has come true. The seven newly listed include Bi-khim Hsiao, Koo Li-hsiung, Tsai Chi-chang, Ker Chien-ming, Lin Fei-fan, Chen Jiau-hua and Wang Ting-yu. Coupled with Su Tseng-chang, You Si-kun and Jaushieh Joseph Wu, who had already been put on the list last year, the figure amounted to 10. The 10 names have since become symbols of shame.  

Identifying and punishing "Taiwan independence" diehards have always been an important part of the work of "opposing independence and promoting reunification," and the work is being continuously advanced. According to the spokesperson, those diehards on the list and their family members are banned from entering the mainland and the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao. Their affiliated institutions are restricted from forging cooperation with relevant organizations and individuals on the mainland. The enterprises related to them, as well as their sponsors, are prohibited from engaging in profit-making activities on the mainland. It has been specially emphasized by the spokesperson that other punitive measures will also be taken and they will be held to lifelong accountability according to law. It's a must-do to list ''Taiwan independence" diehards and impose sanctions on them. It will help establish a credible deterrent against "Taiwan independence," and set up a pillar of historical shame. Those national black scums who are listed on the pillar will be spurned by generations of Chinese.  

We are aiming to deal a precision strike. Most of the newly listed this time performed abominably during US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's provocative visit to the Taiwan island. Some of them are politicians who have long been stationed in the US engaging in political lobby, some are backbones of the Democratic Progressive Party's political activities while others have advocated for "Taiwan independence" in a high-profile way. Their stubborn nature of seeking "independence" has been further exposed this time. To put it bluntly, our relevant departments are in absolute control of their situation. As a net against "Taiwan separatists" has been opened, we will not miss any diehard separatist. As for when to bring in the net, it's entirely up to us to decide. 

In response to the newly announced list of "Taiwan independence" diehards and sanctions, the island's pro-independence media maintain their tough talk and deliberately show their "disdain." Meanwhile, "Taiwan independence" diehards on the list are still obsessed with the idea of seeking "independence," with Lin, Chen, and Wang even claiming that it is "very glorious." We are familiar with this kind of performance. It has become a "standard procedure" for "Taiwan independence" diehards that no matter what kind of fear they have in their hearts, they must posture to be smug.

The fact is, Su, who previously called out that he was very "honored" to be sanctioned, has actually felt the pain. According to Taiwan media reports, many businesspeople and sponsors in the island are afraid to answer Su's phone calls since he was listed as a "Taiwan independence" diehard. In addition, Taiwan media said that in 2020, there are 1,199 listed companies or have business in the island of Taiwan with investments in the Chinese mainland, all of which may not dare to donate to "Taiwan independence" diehards in the name of their companies. Of the DPP's 2020 income, 145 million NTD comes from political contributions, and some of them would be lost because of the sanction. Would Lin and others prefer to have such "glory?"

Now these "Taiwan separatists" are still making a scene on the surface, but there is nothing substantial. Their internal cowardice cannot be hidden. Su Tseng-chang and his like clamored that he would "fight with the mainland with a broom." But the real situation is very likely that they are the people who will flee the fastest with money when the time of reunification comes. If there is a "Wanted List," they are the "walking wallet," to be hunted throughout the island. Even if they are able to flee to some countries willing to shield them, they will be living like mice all their lives, timid and sneaky everywhere they go.  

Now the country also won't let them go unpunished. Recently, spokesperson of the Taiwan Work Office of the CPC Central Committee made remarks that anyone who breaks the law will be brought to book. The country will take criminal punishment measures against those diehard "Taiwan independence" elements who deliberately challenge the law, punish them strictly in accordance with the law, and hold them accountable throughout their lifetime. According to the Criminal Procedure Law, with the approval of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, "Taiwan independence" diehards whose criminal facts have been clearly investigated and the evidence is sufficient may be subject to the trial in absentia. This means, not just the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong or Macao regions, "Taiwan independence" diehards may not dare to go to dozens of countries that have mutual legal assistance with China.

The list to be sanctioned announced on Tuesday is not the full list. The list is published in batches in order to give certain people on the island maximum opportunities to correct their errors. As for the 10 people already on the list, the measures announced so far may just be "appetizers," they are clearly uneasy inside and know that their shameful crimes will never be spared.