China Sentences Yang Chih-yuan to Nine Years for Separatism in First Case

Sep 6, 2024, 04:00 PM

China has sentenced Taiwanese political activist Yang Chih-yuan to nine years in prison on charges of separatism. Yang, a pro-independence advocate and leader of a minor political party in Taiwan, was detained in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province in August 2022 and convicted by the Wenzhou Court on August 26, 2024. This is the first time a Taiwanese person has been jailed on separatism charges. The rare sentence has led Taiwan to issue warnings to its citizens about the risks of traveling to the mainland. The Chinese mainland has defended the sentence, stating that judicial authorities strictly followed the law. The case has sparked criticism from Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party, which accuses the mainland of using the case to smear Taiwan. The State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office also commented on the case.