Brian Hioeby Brian Hioe
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Photo Credit: 玄史生/WikiCommons/CC BY-SA 3.0
THE “YAYA IN TAIWAN” controversy seems to have ended, at least for now, with Chinese Douyin influencer Liu Zhen-ya leaving Taiwan.
In spite of facing a deportation order that required her to leave the country within ten days, Liu previously stated that she had no intention of leaving. As such, Liu’s departure proves a reversal of course. Liu stated before leaving that this was in the hopes that she would eventually be able to return to Taiwan, in order to avoid offending authorities. At the same time, Liu emphasized her continued belief that she was not wrong in her actions. Liu departed with her Taiwanese husband and children, having previously held residency by marriage to a Taiwanese national before its revocation earlier this month.
Liu ran afoul of authorities over Douyin videos expressing support for unification by military force. Offending statements by Liu included expressing hopes that Taiwan would see ROC flags replaced with red PRC flags by morning after China launched military exercises directed at Taiwan. Liu also stated that, “The mainland does not need any reason to reunify Taiwan by force.” Other comments by Liu derided arms purchases by Taiwan as useless. Liu has over 500,000 followers on Douyin.
In response to the deportation order issued by the National Immigration Agency earlier this month over her videos, and after meetings with authorities to explain her views, Liu attempted to deny that she had made comments supportive of military unification, claiming that she only emphasized peaceful unification. The Mainland Affairs Council responded to this by publicizing the video of Liu’s comments that did, in fact, express support for unification by force.
Before Liu’s departure, pro-unification left groups such as Raging People Act Now and other pan-Blue groups rallied in her defense, framing the matter as defending the rights of Chinese spouses in Taiwan. Pro-unification left groups have become increasingly close to the KMT in past years. By contrast, pro-Taiwan groups and anti-CCP YouTuber Pa Chiung demonstrated against Liu, cheering her departure at Taoyuan International Airport. Human rights activist Lee Ming-che, who was previously imprisoned by the Chinese government for five years over exchanges with Chinese pro-democracy groups, as well as Kuma Academy CEO Chu Fu-ming, also participated in demonstrations against Liu.
Video by Pa Chiung of his protest against Liu
Liu and her defenders have often framed her statements as justified freedom of speech. Comments by Lee and others, however, framed Liu’s comments as hate speech, along the lines of pro-Nazi statements in contemporary Germany. Further discourse has focused on the question of the context in which Liu expressed views supportive of Taiwan’s armed annexation by China, in that China is an enemy that militarily threatens Taiwan, whereas comments by a national of another country that does not threaten Taiwan with invasion would not require such measures. As a social media influencer, the Liu case also raises whether influencers with large followings should be subject to regulations on spreading disinformation or propaganda.
Likewise, there is also the question of whether unification between Taiwan and China by peaceful means, rather than armed force, is considered an acceptable part of free speech–though it is important to note that this is the political view of much of the pan-Blue camp. And there are a number of Taiwanese, in fact, who would also advocate the political unification of Taiwan and China by armed force.
Even after Liu’s departure, the controversy is not likely to end. Two other Chinese influencers currently face deportation orders over similar comments to Liu’s. Consequently, with the pan-Blue camp having historically depicted itself as the defender of the rights and interests of Chinese spouses of Taiwanese, it can be expected that the pan-Blue camp will lean into defending them, accusing the Lai administration of targeting Chinese spouses. This occurs in spite of warnings by the Mainland Affairs Council for the public to not target Chinese spouses of Taiwanese.
Nevertheless, the Taiwanese public is clearly incensed by Liu’s actions, as the demonstrators against Liu go to show. In this sense, the pan-Blue camp may be playing with fire if it leans too much into defending Liu and other Chinese influencers in Taiwan supportive of armed unification. But at a time of tightening security measures in the face of threats from China, it is probable that the debate regarding free speech versus security is unfinished as well.