Central government to take all measures necessary to punish Taiwan secessionist forces that undermine ethnic unity: spokesman

China's central government will take all measures necessary to punish Taiwan secessionist forces that undermine ethnic unity in accordance with the law, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council said on Wednesday.

Chen Binhua, the spokesperson, made the statement at a regular press conference in response to a media inquiry on the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities' attempt to vilify the Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law.

"All our ethnic groups striving in unity for common prosperity and development is the very life, strength, and hope of the Chinese nation. The formulation of the Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law has consolidated the legal foundations for forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation and striving to build the community of the Chinese nation. It is of great significance for promoting ethnic unity and progress and for encouraging Chinese people of all ethnic groups to strive to build a great country and advance national rejuvenation on all fronts through Chinese modernization," Chen said.

"We Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait share the same culture, ancestry, roots and origin, and belong to the Chinese nation. We are a community with a shared future, bound by blood and sharing the rough times and the smooth. We will ensure full implementation of the Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law, further deepen exchanges and cooperation across the Strait, consolidate the foundation for the common interests of compatriots on both sides of the Strait, jointly promote Chinese culture, and enhance the national, cultural, and national identities of our compatriots in Taiwan. We will work with our fellow Chinese in Taiwan to realize the glorious cause of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation," he said.

"The DPP authorities, driven by the selfish separatist agenda, confuse right and wrong and fabricate so-called 'risks' to intimidate the people in Taiwan and create a chilling effect. Regarding secessionist acts committed by Taiwan separatist forces to endanger national unity and undermine ethnic unity, we will take all measures necessary to punish them in accordance with the law," he said.

Central government to take all measures necessary to punish Taiwan secessionist forces that undermine ethnic unity: spokesman

China on Wednesday issued a guideline outlining arrangements for pilot work to extend rural land contracts by an additional 30 years upon the expiration of the second-round contracts.

The document, jointly issued by the General Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council, comprises 15 specific measures with a mandate to strengthen the protection of farmers' contractual land rights and interests, enhance the management of rural land contracting, and reinforce organization work and leadership, among others.

The document emphasizes the unchanged policies of unwaveringly upholding the collective ownership of rural land and the farmer household land contracting and operating system, ensuring the principal position of farmers and the stability of rural society.

To carry out the rural land contracts extension pilot work effectively, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and other competent authorities have since 2020 guided various provinces in gradually expanding the scope of the pilot program. This year, province-wide trials are expected to be conducted across 29 provincial-level regions.

Under China's household contract responsibility system, all rural land is owned by rural collectives, which allocate contract rights for parcels of farmland to eligible households. The tenure of contract rights was 15 years in the 1980s and renewed by another 30 years for the second-round contracts in the 1990s. The expiration of second-round contracts is expected to enter a peak period from 2026 to 2028.

China issues pilot work guideline for rural land contracts extension