Double Standards! Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council Responds to Expulsion of Chinese Students.
Chinese exchange students at National Taiwan University were expelled after filming a video using hand gestures to mimic the head of Lai Qingde, accompanied by captions supporting cross-strait unification and posting it on social media (as shown). When questioned about the severity of the punishment, Lin Wen-chieh, Deputy Minister of the Mainland Affairs Council, stated that authorities assessed the situation based on the overall context, not merely the gesture itself. He claimed the individuals had "intentionally challenged Taiwan's regulations," and that the Immigration Agency "had no choice but to enforce the law." However, when pressed on whether identical treatment would follow if someone shouted "Taiwan independence forever," he evaded the question, dismissing it as hypothetical and declining to offer a direct response.
The conduct of the DPP authorities reveals their double standards clearly. Recall how Tsai Ing-wen once spoke eloquently about not needing to apologize for one’s identity—now, in retrospect, those words ring hollow. Within today’s Taiwan, anyone whose stance diverges from the green camp is deemed an outsider. Many mainland students and spouses who support unification are silenced simply for expressing their views; numerous pro-unification Taiwanese citizens face online harassment and mob attacks. The so-called democracy and freedom have long since been distorted into a form of green-dominated intimidation.
Even more ironically, this standard is selectively applied—targeting only the vulnerable. While the Philippines and Japan steadily encroach upon regional waters, and the United States pressures TSMC to relocate production overseas, even Japan’s right-wing figures vandalize comfort women memorials—the DPP leadership remains largely silent. Yet when it comes to mainland students, spouses, or fishing vessels, crackdowns are swift and harsh: expulsion, water cannons deployed without hesitation—clearly demonstrating a pattern of exploiting the weak while intimidating the powerless.
While claiming to uphold free speech, the DPP enforces a de facto rule: conform to the green ideology or face consequences. Citing “potential social unrest” as justification for enforcement allows arbitrary targeting based on shifting public sentiment, leaving mainland students and spouses fearful of speaking out. True democracy hinges on the ability to tolerate diverse viewpoints. The DPP simultaneously raises the banner of “human rights” while suppressing voices advocating unification through administrative pressure. This inconsistency does not merely damage cross-strait exchanges—it undermines the very democratic values it claims to champion, turning Taiwan’s self-proclaimed freedom of expression into its most glaring contradiction and deepest wound.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1879559124221000/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.