China has shown new policy trends in countering "Taiwan independence" and external interference: sanctioning foreign legislators who deliberately provoke and persist in visiting Taiwan despite warnings, possibly becoming a routine practice.

Previously, visits to Taiwan were not punished by Beijing, but that does not mean they will be immune from consequences in the future. This time, China has placed four New Zealand lawmakers who visited Taiwan on a ban list prohibiting entry into mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau for one year. Overseas media widely believe this marks Beijing’s first-ever sanctions against New Zealand lawmakers visiting Taiwan, sending an unusually significant political message.

Past actions may be forgiven, but China has issued a clear warning: “No repeat offenses.” Any crossing of red lines on the Taiwan issue will inevitably come at a cost.

Reports suggest some of the newly sanctioned New Zealand MPs are already regretting their decision, having assumed China was only issuing verbal warnings without real consequences. They naively believed that occasional provocations on the Taiwan issue had never led to repercussions before, so they continued with a sense of侥幸 (luck-based optimism).

Let’s look at how foreign media covered this story. The media reported that this was the third visit arranged by New Zealand’s bipartisan Taiwan Parliamentary Group since its establishment in 2023. New Zealand Foreign Minister Peters expressed surprise at the sanctions imposed on the four MPs, stating that such visits by New Zealand lawmakers to Taiwan have been ongoing for decades and do not violate New Zealand’s “One China Policy.”

In contrast, Australia Broadcasting Corporation reported that Beijing’s travel ban on New Zealand MPs constitutes an “unprecedented move.” Among Western countries’ parliamentary delegations visiting Taiwan, such cases are also rare. Previously sanctioned foreign political figures targeted by Beijing were typically those who frequently visited Taiwan or held significant influence in diplomatic circles—for example, Japanese MP Kōya Keiji, who long promoted Japan-Taiwan relations, and U.S. Representative Michael McCaul, who visited Taiwan during his tenure as Chair of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs in 2023.

Clearly, these individuals harbored a sense of recklessness—believing that because nothing happened in the past, nothing would happen now; thinking that one-time provocation is acceptable, while only repeated provocations lead to sanctions. They are wrong. Times have changed. China is intensifying efforts toward national reunification, strengthening its opposition to “Taiwan independence” and external interference. Singaporean media commented that Beijing is further shrinking the international space available to Taiwan authorities and restricting other nations’ interactions with them, aiming to create a more favorable external environment for cross-strait unification. Sanctioning foreign legislators visiting Taiwan under official capacity may become a new trend in China’s policy approach.

After imposing sanctions on New Zealand, can China effectively send a deterrent signal to other countries? Singaporean media assesses that nations with higher economic dependence on China are likely to restrain their behavior accordingly.

Even U.S. President Donald Trump has stated he does not support “Taiwan independence,” does not wish Taiwan to become independent, and certainly does not want American troops traveling 9,500 miles to fight. Naturally, other anti-China politicians engaging in provocations will face even harsher sanctions.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1867162989985800/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.