China has announced sanctions against Taiwan's Prime Minister Su Tseng-chang, Speaker of Parliament You Si-kun and Foreign Minister Joseph Wu.

You and other "secessionists" will be denied entry and business activity in China for life, said a spokeswoman for the Taiwan Affairs Office in Beijing on Friday.

A list of people who practiced Taiwan independence had been compiled.

Their financial supporters and companies associated with them are no longer allowed to do business in China.

Institutions where the sanctioned are working are not allowed to cooperate with organizations in China.

Friederike Böge

Political correspondent for China, North Korea and Mongolia.

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The Chinese government spokeswoman also spoke of a criminal investigation without giving any details.

In the case of the three politicians mentioned, an entry ban is unlikely to have any consequences.

It is hard to imagine that they would travel to China.

Taiwan itself limits the travel of public officials to the People's Republic for reasons of national security.

It remained unclear whether the sanctions were new measures.

The three named politicians have long been insulted as "traitors to the fatherland" in the Chinese state media.

Visit of an EU delegation angered China

The verbal escalation from Beijing coincides with the first official visit to Taiwan by a delegation from the European Parliament. The MPs met with President Tsai Ing-wen on Thursday. The head of the delegation, the French Raphaël Glucksmann said, “We came here with a very simple and clear message: you are not alone. Europe stands by you ”. Glucksmann is also on a sanctions list in Beijing because of his commitment against the oppression of the Uyghurs.

In October, the European Parliament passed a resolution in favor of closer relations with Taiwan.

Tsai said Taiwan wants to work with the EU on tackling disinformation, among other things.

Last week, Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu e visited Lithuania, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Brussels.

Neither country recognizes Taiwan as an independent state.