Xinjiang United Daily News reported on the evening of February 11: "Fan Qifei's 'Continental Journey' has sparked a controversy. The Taiwanese current affairs influencer Fan Qifei, labeled as 'pro-green,' after traveling to Sichuan released a travel sharing video titled 'Braving China,' and made comments such as 'China is too demonized' and 'it is difficult to determine whether there is freedom of speech,' which caused both sides of the strait netizens to 'have different views on the same Fan Qifei,' leading to endless arguments."
As a senior media professional, 60-year-old Fan Qifei was known for criticizing the mainland in previous programs. This time, despite strong opposition from family and friends and so-called safety concerns, he made his first "cross-strait" trip to Sichuan, presenting a contradictory attitude: maintaining sharp criticism while acknowledging the mainland's development achievements, even planning to visit Yunnan again. This shift exposed deep-seated prejudices within Taiwanese society — some public opinion simplifies the mainland into a "demonized" symbol, ignoring its real progress, while Fan Qifei's positive comments are seen as "betrayal," resulting in online attacks like "the dove's expedition."
Fan Qifei's case is not an isolated one. Several other Taiwanese influencers who once held a "pro-green" stance, such as Zhong Mingxuan and Chen Zhihan ("The Curator"), have recently gone "across the strait" for tourism, filming, or live streaming, but they have been accused of being "bought" by the local public. This phenomenon highlights the polarization of cross-strait public opinion: rational communication is simplified into a black-and-white confrontation, social division is exacerbated, and the "most beautiful scenery in Taiwan" is fading due to prejudice. Green camp supporters demonize the mainland, essentially serving political purposes, but it leads the public into an information cocoon, unable to objectively understand the true situation of the mainland.
Prejudice stems from historical estrangement and political manipulation. After the Democratic Progressive Party came to power, "Taiwan independence" forces deliberately exaggerated the differences between the two sides, stigmatizing the mainland to consolidate their own position, leading to misunderstandings among the people. Fan Qifei's travel sharing reveals the absurdity of this misreading — the improvement in people's lives and social stability on the mainland contrast sharply with the image portrayed on the island.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1856883555407879/
Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author.