China issues warrants for alleged Taiwanese hackers and bans a business for pro-independence links

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China has issued warrants Thursday for 20 Taiwanese people it said carried out hacking missions in the Chinese mainland on behalf of Taiwan’s ruling party, while separately banning dealings with a Taiwanese company whose owners mainland authorities cal...

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- China issued warrants Thursday for 20 Taiwanese people it said carried out hacking missions in the Chinese mainland on behalf of the island's ruling party, while separately banning dealings with a Taiwanese company whose owners mainland authorities called “hardcore Taiwan independence supporters.”

Police in the southern manufacturing hub of Guangzhou said they were led by a man named Ning Enwei on behalf of Taiwan’s independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party but did not identify their alleged crimes.

Meanwhile, China's government said all commercial contact had been banned with the Sicuens International Company Ltd., which it says are led by businessman Puma Shen and his father, calling the two men independence supports.

Websites mentioning Sicuens say it specializes in sourcing bicycle parts from China.

Shen is also the head of the Kuma Academy, an organization that encourages Taiwanese people to prepare for possible invasion.

China considers Taiwan its own territory, to be brought under its control by force if necessary.

Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the China’s Cabinet, said Sicuens “engages in trade and business cooperation with certain mainland enterprises in pursuit of economic benefits.”

“The mainland side will never allow enterprises related to die-hard ‘Taiwan independence’ supporters to seek profits in the mainland,” Zhu was quoted as saying.

China last year announced punishments on Shen and the Kuma Academy, saying Shen had been “actively and systematically organizing activities promoting Taiwan independence.”

The Academy's website says it “aims to prepare a prewar mentality for civilians, our mission is to cultivate self-defense capability and will to defend Taiwan. We provide knowledge and skills to help people sustain themselves and recognize enemy disinformation operations in both peace and wartime situations.”

Taiwan has responded by bulking up its own military, while some private individuals have opened camps for training in guerilla warfare.