On Friday, a Chinese spokesperson said that people who support “Taiwan independence“ would be criminally liable for life, according to a report by Reuters. The spokeswoman for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office made several Taiwanese angry and upset at a time when there are already heightened tensions across the Taiwan Strait.

On Friday, China strongly endorsed concrete punishment for those persons who were seen to be in favor of Taiwan’s independence from mainland China. Tensions have been at their highest ever as the island nation considers itself to be self-ruled while Beijing calls it a part of its nation.

Although Taiwan calls itself as a democratic island-nation and speaks of defending its freedom and democracy, China doesn’t accept this stance. It has also not ruled out the use of force to bring the island under its control.

According to a report by Reuters, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office put Taiwan Premier Su Tseng-chang, Parliament Speaker You Si-kun and Foreign Minister Joseph Wu in the list of people who are “stubbornly pro-Taiwan independence.” They also publicly stated that they had made a list of of people who fell in the mentioned category.

The punishment for those on the list includes the following:

The blacklisted people cannot enter mainland China as well as Hong Kong and Macau.
They will not be allowed to cooperate with people or entities from the mainland.
The companies or entities who fund them will not be allowed to profit from the mainland.

Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council reminded China that Taiwan was a democratic society with its own laws. It was not ruled by Beijing. It said that they did not accept intimidation and threats from an autocratic and authoritarian region. The council also said that it would take the required countermeasures that would “safeguard the safety and wellbeing” of the Taiwanese.

Spokeswoman Zhu Fenglian said that the message that China was sending to the supporters of Taiwan independence was that the people who forgot their ancestors and betrayed the mother land and “split the country” would never end up well and would be spurned by the people and would be judged by history.”