Liu Zhenya incident

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In 2025, Taiwanese YouTuber Pa Chiung and others reported that Liu Zhenya, a mainland Chinese spouse and internet celebrity in Taiwan, promoted Chinese ​​unification by military means on her YouTube, Douyin and other social media channels. Taiwan's National Immigration Agency determined that Liu violated the Cross-Strait Act, and revoked her dependent residence permit in Taiwan and ordered her to leave Taiwan. This marked the first time Taiwan had expelled a mainland Chinese spouse. She was also restricted from reapplying for five years, becoming the first Chinese mainland spouse to be punished. At the same time, the National Immigration Agency launched an investigation into similar incidents and also punished two other cases of violations in March. Her deportation caused a controversy in Taiwan, with the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and its supporters arguing Liu's speech constituted a threat to national security and sovereignty, while Kuomintang and Taiwan People's Party (TPP) and its supporters arguing the action undermined freedom of speech in Taiwan.

Contents

Background

Liu Zhenya is a mainland Chinese spouse and internet celebrity whose online name is Yaya. [1] She was born in Chenzhou City, Hunan. [2] She married a Taiwanese and has three children, and had been living in Taiwan for 10 years at the time of her deportation. [3] She obtained the right to reside in Taiwan through her relatives, but had not yet become a citizen of Taiwan. She served as "Longtai Cultural Exchange Advisor" and "Cross-Strait Youth Exchange Ambassador" in Heilongjiang Province. She also operated video and audio channels on platforms such as YouTube and Douyin under the name "Yaya in Taiwan". [4] In March 2025, she had 500,000 followers on Douyin. [3] The content mostly promoted Chinese unification, "both sides of the Taiwan Strait are one family", and unification with Taiwan by military means. In one example video, she said that "Maybe when we wake up tomorrow morning, the island will already be covered with five-star red flags, and it makes me happy even just thinking about it", referencing the flag of China. [5] She often appeared in the video with her Taiwanese daughter "Xiao Danggui", which attracted the attention of Taiwanese society. [6]

Events

In March 2025, due to the report by internet celebrity Pa Chiung that Liu Zhenya's public statements were potentially harmful to national security, the National Immigration Agency (NIA) notified Liu Zhenya to come to the agency to state her opinion on 4 March. [7] On 11 March, in accordance with Article 14, Paragraph 1, Item 4 of the Regulations Governing Permits for People from the Mainland Area to Reside in Taiwan for Long-Term Residence or Settlement with Relatives, her permit for dependent residence in Taiwan was revoked, and she was not permitted to apply for dependent residence again for five years. NIA said that she "caused significant public concern and posed potential threats to national security and social stability" with her comments. [3] On 15 March, Liu uploaded a video claiming that her stay in Taiwan had been changed from 6 months to leaving within 10 days. However, the NIA clarified that it had never agreed to allow a stay of 6 months in Taiwan. [8]

On 21 March, Liu Zhenya applied for a stay of execution, which was rejected by the Taipei High Administrative Court that evening. [9] After the rejection, Liu filed an appeal on 24 March and gave an interview to TVBS, denying any intention to leave Taiwan. On the evening of 27 March, the Supreme Administrative Court rejected the appeal. Her husband Huang Chun-hung and three children also applied to the court for a stay of execution, which was also rejected by the Taipei High Administrative Court on the evening of 25 March. [10]

On the morning of 25 March, Liu held a press conference, requesting the outside world to face up to NIA's "abuse of power", and hoping to revoke the administrative punishment and avoid the separation of family members. [11] She also said that she advocated peaceful reunification, not advocating reunification by force. [10] At the same time, she accepted an exclusive interview with Dongsen News, saying that her children were all born in Taiwan. She denied sham marriage and population laundering. Afterwards, in order to avoid leaving a record of illegality and affecting her right to return to Taiwan to visit relatives Afterwards, Liu left Taiwan by plane from Songshan Airport that night following the advice of his lawyer Yeh Ching-Yuan and "out of respect for Taiwanese law", while denying any wrongdoing. [4] Her plane later landed at the Fuzhou Changle International Airport. [10]

Subsequent developments

On 26 March, the National Immigration Agency issued another similar case involving mainland spouses Xiaowei and Enqi. [9] The NIA notified them to state their opinions according to procedure because of their such as "Taiwan is full of this five-star red flag" and "People's Liberation Army exercises show strong military strength and firm defense of national sovereignty". After consulting with the Mainland Affairs Council and other relevant agencies, the agency revoked their "family-dependent" and "long-term" residence permits respectively, and ordered them to leave Taiwan before 31 March. [9] On the afternoon of March 28, Xiaowei and Enqi, accompanied by their Taiwanese husbands, went to the Presidential Office Building and unfurled a banner that read "Give Me Back My Mother's Rights" and submitted a petition specifically to the President. A week later, the two left the country one after the other, and the Taiwan Affairs Office reiterated its dissatisfaction with this handling of the matter, which it felt violated the marriage and parentage rights of mainland spouses. [12]

In April 2025, the National Immigration Agency sent a letter to mainland spouses who have settled or registered in Taiwan, requiring them to submit a "notarized certificate of loss of original place of residence" within three months, otherwise their household registration in Taiwan will be revoked. On April 4, Liu Zhenya was interviewed in Shenzhen by Global People, a publication under the People's Daily , detailing how she was "hunted down" by the DPP government. Liu Zhenya said, "This door started with me," but she said that Taiwan is "China's territory" and "Taiwan independence is a dead end." [1]

On May 13, Liu Zhenya released a new video on Douyin for the first time since being deported to mainland China, claiming that Taiwan is a province of China and criticizing the DPP government for "not having the right to deport any Chinese person on Chinese soil." [13] On November 13, the Quanzhou Public Security Bureau of Fujian issued a reward notice, determining that the report of Liu Zhenya's bullying and persecution of mainland spouses in Taiwan constituted the crime of inciting secession. On the same day, Liu Zhenya posted a video on Douyin saying "It's time for revenge." [14]

Official stances of both sides of the Taiwan Strait

People's Republic of China

In response to the Liu Zhenya incident, the Taiwan Affairs Office criticized the Democratic Progressive Party for being "hypocritical and double-standard" and hurting the feelings of compatriots at a regular press conference on March 12. It also described the internet celebrity Pa Chiung as "a petty scoundrel, a thief, an accomplice to evil, and will be severely punished". [15] On March 26, Chen Binhua, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office, said at a press conference that the DPP authorities, who boast of "freedom, rule of law and human rights," abused judicial means to bully cross-strait marriage groups, causing family separation, which is contrary to human ethics and is immoral. [16] At the same time, a "Taiwan independence henchman" reporting column was launched on the official website, which said that those reported would be held accountable according to law. The list includes Taiwanese Interior Minister Liu Shyh-fang, DPP legislators Puma Shen, Rosalia Wu, and Huang Jie, Taipei District Prosecutors Office prosecutors Lin Ta, Lin Chun-yen, and Lin Chun-ting, Kuma Academy's financial backer Robert Tsao, pro-DPP dentist Shih Shu-hua, internet celebrities Wen Tzu-yu (Ba Chiung) and Chen Po-yuan (Minnan Wolf PYC). [17] Regarding the incident, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated "I have not paid attention to the relevant reports. Taiwan is an inseparable part of China's territory." [18]

Republic of China

Government

On March 13, President Lai Ching-te stated that harming one's own country and people is not freedom of speech, but a criminal act regulated by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. On March 17, Lin Da, a prosecutor at the Taipei District Prosecutors Office, stated that Taiwan's protection of freedom of speech is based on not undermining the existence of the Republic of China, saying that as long as the content of speech does not undermine the existence of the Republic of China, then speech can be protected. He also advocated that a special court for national security should be established as soon as possible, and a mechanism for military experts to participate in the review should be added. Premier Cho Jung-tai stated that there is no room for compromise on this matter. He said that there are limits to freedom of speech, and the existence of the country is the limit. [10]

Mainland Affairs Council Minister Chiu Chui-cheng said that that any statement advocating military unification, war or the destruction of the Republic of China is not protected as free speech. [10] On March 25, the Mainland Affairs Council issued a press release expressing its support for the competent authorities to handle the matter according to law, and called for respect for the sentiments of the Taiwanese people, not to stimulate social confrontation based on private interests, and hoped that no specific groups would be labeled. [19] Regarding the list of "Taiwan independence henchmen," the MAC stated that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s attempt to create the illusion of "long-arm jurisdiction" over Taiwan has no effect on the Taiwanese people and only obstructs and undermines cross-strait exchanges. [20]

Regarding the handling of the Liu Zhenya incident, scholars such as Chen Pei-jer, an academician of the Academia Sinica, issued a statement on 26 March, saying that the space for freedom of speech in Taiwan has been compressed. Presidential Office spokesperson Guo Yahui responded that advocating for an aggressive war against Taiwan and hatred, has violated the criminal acts clearly defined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which is a challenge to Taiwan's free and democratic system and also violates the red line of democracy and freedom of speech. [21] Minister without Portfolio Lin Mingxin of the Executive Yuan stated that freedom of speech still needs certain restrictions, and emphasized that regulating speech with "penalties" is the last resort. [22]

Political parties

Former Kuomintang vice presidential candidate Jaw Shaw-kong said in an interview on March 24 that it was a deliberate attempt to create a chilling effect. [23] On March 25, Kuomintang Legislative Yuan caucus secretary-general Wang Hung-wei said that "What exactly are the government’s enforcement standards? Are mainland Chinese spouses being deported simply because the government dislikes what they say?", and accused the DPP of abandoning their commitment to freedom of speech. [9] Taiwan People's Party legislator Chang Chi-kai said he did not want the National Immigration Agency or the Mainland Affairs Council to become the Taiwan Garrison Command. [24] TPP politician Lee Chen-hsiu wrote that mainland spouses are like Jews during World War II. In response to Lee's statement, DPP China Department Director Wu Chun-chih refuted it as alarmist. [25] Regarding the "Taiwan independence henchmen reporting column", the DPP China Department criticized that the CCP is the real troublemaker, crying "stop thief" when it is actually the thief. DPP legislator Puma Shen argued that freedom of speech should not apply equally to residents from "hostile states". [9]

References

  1. 1 2 Institute, Global Taiwan (2025-04-28). "Taiwan's "Little Pink" Resentment: Expulsions, Douyin, and the Edge of Democratic Tolerance". Global Taiwan Institute. Retrieved 2025-12-10.
  2. ↑ "網傳陸配「亞亞」有台灣身分證、帶中國親人依親，是假消息" [Rumors are circulating online that "a mainland Chinese woman named 'Ya Ya' obtained Taiwanese citizenship, divorced, remarried in China, and allowed her spouse to also obtain Taiwanese citizenship, as well as bring her parents and children to Taiwan for family reunification."]. Taiwan FactCheck Center (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 2025-12-10.
  3. 1 2 3 "Chinese influencer promoting unification by force leaves Taiwan". Hong Kong Free Press . 26 March 2025. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  4. 1 2 "Taiwan deports a Chinese woman for praising Beijing's military ambitions to conquer the island". Associated Press . 2025-03-25. Retrieved 2025-12-10.
  5. ↑ Wang, Cindy; Lin, Miaojung (2025-03-26). "Chinese influencer forced to leave Taiwan for supporting invasion". The Japan Times . Retrieved 2025-12-10.
  6. ↑ Chang, Chun-hao (2025-03-11). "獨／起底囂張陸配「亞亞」公然宣傳武統 移民署出手廢居台許可 | ETtoday社會新聞 | ETtoday新聞雲" [Exposing the arrogant mainland spouse "Ya Ya" openly advocating for unification by force; Immigration Agency takes action to revoke residency permits in Taiwan]. ETtoday (in Traditional Chinese). Retrieved 2025-12-10.
  7. ↑ 民間全民電視公司 (2025-03-12). "「亞亞在台灣」統戰言論遭驅逐出境 反共網紅八炯：我檢舉的" [Chinese-speaking voice actor YTR was deported after filming 10 propaganda videos for the United Front. Anti-communist internet celebrity Pa Chiung: I reported it… Netizens praised him.]. FTV News (in Traditional Chinese). Retrieved 2025-12-10.
  8. ↑ Chen, Jiaxin; Qiu, Fucai (2025-03-16). "移民署廢陸配亞亞居留許可 要求10日內離境" [The Immigration Agency abolishes residence permits for mainland spouse Yaya, requiring her to leave the country within 10 days.]. Public Television Service (in Traditional Chinese). Retrieved 2025-12-10.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 Chung, Lawrence (2025-03-25). "Taiwan orders 3 mainland Chinese to leave for promoting military takeover". South China Morning Post . Retrieved 2025-12-10.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 Younger, Hollie (2025-03-26). "Yaya in Taiwan voluntarily flies to PRC". Taipei Times . Retrieved 2025-12-10.
  11. ↑ Yeh, Pei-hsuan; Chen, Po-yu (2025-03-25). "中配亞亞離境期限將至 控移民署濫權盼撤銷處分" [Chinese spouse Yaya's departure deadline is approaching; she accuses Immigration Agency of abusing its power and hopes the penalty will be revoked.]. Public Television Service (in Traditional Chinese). Retrieved 2025-12-10.
  12. ↑ "陸配恩綺、小微涉鼓吹武統 移民署：限3/31前出境" [Mainland spouses Enqi and Xiaowei are accused of advocating for unification by force. Immigration Agency: They are required to leave the country before March 31.]. Central News Agency (in Chinese). 2025-03-26. Retrieved 2025-12-10.
  13. ↑ "Mainlander Yaya Speaks Out After 45 Days of Silence: Taiwan... - United Daily News". United Daily. 2025-05-14. Retrieved 2025-12-10.
  14. ↑ "八炯、閩南狼遭中懸賞通緝 中配亞亞拍片喊：報仇時間到了" [Pa Chiung and Minnan Wolf are wanted by the Chinese authorities. Aya, the voice actress for Ba Jiong, filmed the scene saying: "The time for revenge has come!"]. TTV NEWS (in Traditional Chinese). 2025-11-13. Retrieved 2025-12-10.
  15. ↑ Chen, Jiaxin; Qiu, Fucai (2025-03-12). "陸配網紅發表武統言論 移民署廢止居留許可、安排出境" [Mainland Chinese internet celebrity's remarks about unification by force lead to the Immigration Agency revoking her residence permit and arranging her departure from the country.]. Public Television Service (in Traditional Chinese). Retrieved 2025-12-10.
  16. ↑ "國台辦批欺凌兩岸婚姻 陸委會：武統言論不容許" [Taiwan Affairs Office criticizes bullying of cross-strait marriages; Mainland Affairs Council: Rhetoric on unification by force is not allowed.]. Central News Agency (in Chinese). 2025-03-26. Retrieved 2025-12-10.
  17. ↑ "國台辦：收到323封台獨幫凶舉報 劉世芳八炯在列" [Taiwan Affairs Office: Received 323 reports accusing Liu Shih-fang and Ba Jiong of being accomplices of Taiwan independence.]. Central News Agency (in Chinese). 2025-03-26. Retrieved 2025-12-10.
  18. ↑ "亞亞離台 中國外交部國台辦重彈舊調及表達反對" [China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Taiwan Affairs Office reiterated their previous stance and expressed opposition to Yaya's departure from Taiwan.]. Central News Agency (in Chinese). 2025-03-26. Retrieved 2025-12-10.
  19. ↑ "亞亞離境 陸委會：希望不要標籤化特定群體" [Mainland Affairs Council: We hope that specific groups will not be labeled.]. Central News Agency (in Chinese). 2025-03-25. Retrieved 2025-12-10.
  20. ↑ "陸鼓勵舉報「台獨打手」 陸委會：長臂管轄假象" [Mainland China encourages reporting "Taiwan independence henchmen," but the Mainland Affairs Council denies it as a false impression of long-arm jurisdiction.]. Central News Agency (in Chinese). 2025-03-26. Retrieved 2025-12-10.
  21. ↑ "中研院士陳培哲等75學者聯合聲明 指言論自由壓縮籲政府懸崖勒馬" [A joint statement by 75 scholars, including Academia Sinica academician Chen Pei-che, points to the compression of freedom of speech and urges the government to pull back from the brink.]. Central News Agency (in Chinese). 2025-03-26. Retrieved 2025-12-10.
  22. ↑ Yang, Renxiang (27 March 2025). "75位學者批政府思想審查 林明昕：言論自由仍需一定限制". Radio France Internationale . Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  23. ↑ Su, Yannan (2025-03-24). "幫喊冤！趙少康稱「中共不認識亞亞」：趕走她太殘忍，她在台灣還有孩子 | 政治 | 三立新聞網 SETN.COM" [Speaking out for her! Jaw Shaw-kong claims "the CCP doesn't know Aya": Expelling her is too cruel; she still has children in Taiwan.]. SET News (in Chinese). Retrieved 2025-12-10.
  24. ↑ Lü, Jieyun; Xie, Zhenglin; Zhang, Minru (2025-03-24). "亞亞等3中配遭廢居留許可 健保、工作權同步取消 ｜ 公視新聞網 PNN" [Three spouses, including Ya Ya, had their residence permits, health insurance, and work rights revoked.]. Public Television Service (in Traditional Chinese). Retrieved 2025-12-10.
  25. ↑ Chen, Wei-rui (2025-03-13). "民眾黨中配挺亞亞！喻如「猶太人」遭打壓 網笑爛：唸書不犯法 | 政治快訊 | 要聞" [Taiwan People's Party's Chinese spouses support Aya! The analogy of being suppressed as a "Jew" has sparked online laughter: Studying isn't illegal.]. NOWnews (in Chinese). Retrieved 2025-12-10.
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