Chinese ambassador to Australia says Taiwan independence activists will be punished

China’s ambassador to Australia has warned those fighting for Taiwan’s independence will be ‘punished’.

Ambassador Xiao Qian told ABC’s 7.30 program on Wednesday those trying to ‘split’ the island politically from mainland China, which he called ‘secessionists’, would face retribution.

Mr Xiao appeared uncomfortable with using the term ‘re-educating’ Taiwan’s 23million people to accept rule from Beijing, as was suggested by China’s ambassador to France. 

‘For those secessionists, it is not a question of being re-educated,’ Mr Xiao said.  

‘They are going to be punished according to law. 

‘They are being involved in splitting Taiwan from China. So it’s not a question of education or re-education. They will be punished according to law.’

ABC interviewer Sarah Ferguson asked Mr Xiao if this meant there would be widespread punishment as opinion polls consistently show the vast majority of Taiwanese do not want to be ruled by China. 

Mr Xiao denied this, saying ‘there is only handful of people who have been stubborn to pursue a Taiwan independence’.

Re-education is term associated with China’s Cultural Revolution launched by Chairmen Mao in 1996 where millions perished in a chaotic and brutal campaign to wipe out all traces of thought that were not deemed ‘revolutionary communist’. 

Taiwanese anti-China protesters gather in the island’s capital of Taipei with opinion polls consistently showing the 23 million people in Taiwan are largely opposed to being ruled by Beijing

Mr Xiao repeated, perhaps even more strongly, his statement in August that China would use ‘all necessary means’ to stop Taiwan becoming its own nation. 

China regards Taiwan, which sits 160km off the mainland coast, as its territory despite its 23 million people being ruled by a different political system since 1945.

He told Ferguson what he said ‘is a warning’ both to the US and those inside Taiwan as China continues to stage military exercises or send warplanes near the island with Taiwanese forces put on high alert.

China is ‘determined to protect her sovereignty and integrity’ Mr Xiao told Ferguson while saying that ‘peaceful reunification’ was still Beijing’s first choice.

Mr Xiao said China would use military force if Taiwan was heading for independence or all peaceful avenues for reunification were exhausted.

The Taiwanese military conduct a night exercise as tensions run high between the island the mainland state of China

In a wide-ranging interview Mr Xiao also labelled Australian foreign minister Penny Wong’s comments about China’s actions in the Xinjiang province as  ‘unfortunate’.

Ms Wong described as ‘harrowing’ a UN report detailing human rights abuses against the ethnic minority Muslim Uighur people in the region.

She also praised the ‘strength and determination’ of Uighurs outside China to highlight what was happening.

Mr Xiao said the UN report was an ‘absolute fabrication’.

‘As ambassador, I am not going to suggest we will punish Australia for making statements,’ he said.

‘Australia is entitled to their own views but I’m not going to suggest that Australia should check against the facts before making serious statements.’

China’s ambassador to Australia said he was trying to help jailed Australian reporter Cheng Lei see her family

Mr Xiao also said he was personally intervening to help jailed Australian journalist Cheng Lei, although he labelled accusations she had stolen national security secrets as ‘the truth’.

Lei, an Australian citizen who was born in China, has been held in jail for two years under China’s harsh national security laws.

During that period she has not been allowed to see her two children, her partner or any other family members.

 ‘I have sympathy to her family, her kids and their relatives that they are faced with such a difficult situation,’ Mr Xiao said.

Re-education is a term associated with China’s notorious Cultural Revolution where millions were brutally treated, tortured and killed under the rule of Chairman Mao

Mr Xiao stressed he could not get involved with a ‘legal procedure’ but had been trying to intervene for ‘humanitarian’ reasons. 

‘I have been trying to see if I can be help as ambassador to facilitate a possible much easier access either with between her and her relatives or her, the Australian embassies based on humanitarian considerations,’ he said.