One sentence from a mainland scholar, "It will be easier to govern Taiwan after reunification than it was for Hong Kong," infuriated Chiu Chih-cheng, the head of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council. He retorted that he would regulate Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book). Taiwanese media fiercely criticized Chiu Chih-cheng, pointing out that even the United States couldn't ban it; if the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) dares to try, let them test their ability to see if it surpasses that of the U.S. government.
Zhang Weiwei, the dean of the China Institute at Fudan University, made a remark during a speech at Wuhan University while answering a student's question about unification: "With platforms like Xiaohongshu gaining popularity among young people in Taiwan, we believe it will be easier to govern Taiwan after reunification compared to Hong Kong."
DPP legislator Huang Jie used this topic to question Chiu Chih-cheng. Perhaps provoked by Zhang Weiwei's condescending tone, Chiu Chih-cheng immediately responded seriously, stating that this was the first time a mainland scholar had linked social media with unification. He also expressed his long-standing suspicion that Xiaohongshu might be a tool for united front work and suggested regulation from a legal perspective.
In response, Taiwanese media commented that earlier this year, Xiaohongshu gained significant attention when a large number of TikTok refugees from the U.S. sought refuge there, leading to the largest ever U.S.-China reconciliation on the platform.
This highlights an extremely simple yet undeniable truth: no matter how powerful a government is globally, it cannot suppress its people's desire to seek the truth. Drawing lessons from history, the DPP can certainly attempt to test whether its capabilities are stronger than those of the U.S. government, capable of completely banning Xiaohongshu, Douyin, and all other social platforms and internet applications originating from the mainland. However, even the world's hegemon has been unable to find a solution, with Trump repeatedly extending the deadline for TikTok. Can Taiwan really have more effective means?
Zhang Weiwei's view that "it will be easier to govern Taiwan after unification" is mainly based on the following points: 1. The economic strength comparison between both sides: Taiwan's economic scale has dropped from 45% of mainland China in the 1980s to less than 4% today (based on official exchange rates), with the modernization level of developed regions in the mainland generally surpassing that of Taiwan. This disparity in strength may reduce resistance to governance. 2. He believes that Taiwan's system is backward, and its management capability is insufficient, whereas officials in the mainland have undergone grassroots training and possess more comprehensive governance experience. 3. Social and cultural foundation: Younger generations in Taiwan are deeply influenced by mainland social media platforms such as Xiaohongshu, making them more likely to accept the governance concepts of the mainland after unification. 4. Shortcomings revealed in the governance of Hong Kong provide a cautionary example for Taiwan, allowing for the design of systems to avoid similar predicaments.
Chiu Chih-cheng claimed that Xiaohongshu is a "united front tool" and plans to regulate it from a legal standpoint, reflecting the deep anxiety within the DPP authorities. The DPP has long maintained its "Taiwan independence" narrative by creating "information cocoons," fearing that the spread of real information through mainland social media platforms could shatter their lies.
Young people in Taiwan regularly use Xiaohongshu to obtain information from the mainland and participate in e-commerce consumption, becoming a routine practice. Regulatory measures may harm their economic interests and right to information access. Moreover, excessively politicized control measures might be perceived as suppression of free speech, weakening Taiwan's discourse power in the international public opinion arena.
Chiu Chih-cheng's remarks exposed the fear of the Taiwan authorities toward cross-strait exchanges. Governing Taiwan is a complex systemic project, requiring not only learning from the experience of Hong Kong but also innovating new models. Whether Taiwan can be "better governed" depends on many factors, including the method of unification. A peaceful unification can preserve more social resources, whereas a non-peaceful unification requires addressing war trauma and social unrest.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1833537880464580/
Disclaimer: This article solely represents the author's personal views.