Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Chair Chiu Chui-Cheng announced an investigation into Taiwanese celebrities who have expressed support for China’s “One China” policy or military exercises against Taiwan on Chinese social media platforms. The investigation, conducted jointly with the Ministry of Culture, will examine whether these actions violate Taiwanese law.
On May 15, Taiwan’s National Security Bureau, Maritime Affairs Council, MAC, and Investigation Bureau presented a report to the Legislative Yuan’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee regarding “China’s compound threats to national security.”
The MAC revealed that approximately 20 Taiwanese celebrities are under scrutiny, with initial focus on those who participated in Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference activities or explicitly supported military unification with Taiwan. For example, actress Ouyang Nana shared and supported posts about China’s “Joint Sword-2024B” military exercises last October.
MAC Deputy Chair Shen Yu-Chung stated that while Taiwan respects artists seeking opportunities in the Chinese market, authorities cannot tolerate those who “at specific times, in cooperation with specific entities, forward specific content” that affects Taiwan’s morale. He emphasized that undermining national sovereignty and Taiwan’s democratic constitutional system is unacceptable.
Penalties could be based on Article 33-1 of the Act Governing Relations between People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area, which prohibits unauthorized cooperation with China’s political or military entities. Violations can result in fines between NT$100,000 and NT$500,000, with potential for repeated penalties. Detailed administrative guidelines have not yet been publicly disclosed.
As President Lai Ching-te’s first anniversary in office approaches on May 20, legislator Lee Kuen-cheng suggested finalizing and publicizing these guidelines before then to clarify boundaries for celebrities.
Source: Radio Free Asia, May 15, 2025
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/xinwenkuaixun/2025/05/15/taiwan-investigate-celebrity-post-about-chinas-united-front/