ISTANBUL

Taiwan's President William Lai Ching-te said on Monday China has "no right to sanction" Taiwanese people for expressing their views.

"China has no right to sanction Taiwanese people for their political opinions or pursue prosecution across borders. Democracy is not a crime; autocracy is what’s truly malicious. Once again, I urge China to choose dialogue with Taiwan's democratically elected government," Lai wrote on X.

"According to China's logic, not supporting unification equates to supporting Taiwan independence. So, whether you are for Taiwan, the Republic of China, or the Republic of China, Taiwan, in their eyes these all mean supporting Taiwan independence," Lai said in Taipei, according to the Focus Taiwan.

His remarks come in response to Beijing's new judicial guidelines that include death penalty for "diehard" supporters of independence for Taiwan.

The guidelines document, jointly issued on Friday by China's Supreme People's Procuratorate, the Supreme People's Court, and the ministries of public security, state security, and justice, has taken immediate effect.

Article 6 of the documents reads: "Those who commit the crime of splitting the state may be sentenced to death if the crime causes particularly grave harm to the state and the people or if the circumstances are particularly serious."

It specifically targets "Taiwan independence" separatists, who engages in acts of organizing, plotting or carrying out schemes of "de jure independence," or seeking independence by relying on foreign support or by force, and should be held criminally responsible.

Lai, despised by Beijing as "separatist," was inaugurated as president of the island nation last month.

China considers Taiwan its “breakaway province” while Taipei has maintained its independence since 1949.

Beijing on Monday reiterated its stand on the island nation that sits across Taiwan Strait to the south of mainland.

No country, organization, or individual "should think they can cross the red line on the Taiwan question without facing consequences," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters.

"US arms sales to Taiwan have seriously violated the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques, meddled in China's internal affairs, and undermined China's sovereignty and territorial integrity," Mao said, referring to latest arms sales to Taipei by Washington.