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As Chinese drills begin, Taiwan expels mainland influencers
The government is drawing new lines around acceptable speech
Apr 1st 2025|TAIPEI
IN THE AIR and seas around Taiwan, China’s armed forces launched large-scale military exercises on April 1st, warning that the “reunification” of the self-ruling island—by military means if necessary—was “an unstoppable trend”. On the same day, Taiwan’s government took action against what it regards as the growing threat from within. Zhao Chan, a woman from the mainland whose online posts promoted Taiwan’s forced takeover by China, was deported. “I love the party and love my country,” she shouted as journalists jostled around her at Taipei’s airport. “Have I done anything wrong?”
在台灣周邊的空域與海域，中國的武裝部隊於4月1日展開大規模軍事演習，並警告稱對這個自治島嶼進行「統一」（如有必要將以武力）是「無法阻擋的趨勢」。同一天，台灣政府針對它所認為日益增長的內部威脅採取了行動。一名來自中國大陸、名叫趙婵的女子，因其網路言論主張中國應以武力統一台灣而被驅逐出境。「我愛黨、我愛國，」她在台北機場被媒體包圍時高喊道，「我到底做錯了什麼？」
Ms Zhao, who calls herself “Xiaowei” online, often posts videos featuring a large Chinese flag, saying things such as: “Come on, my fellow Taiwanese, let’s unite and go home together!!!” She is one of three social-media influencers—all of them women from the Chinese mainland who had married Taiwanese men—who were told in March they were no longer welcome to live on the island. Also ejected was Liu Zhenya (pictured), who liked to make videos of her daughter singing patriotic Chinese songs in front of iconic buildings in Taipei. “Maybe I’ll wake up tomorrow morning and find the entire island filled with five-star red flags,” Ms Liu had said in a video cheering another Chinese military drill last year. “The very thought fills my heart with joy.”
趙婵女士在網路上自稱「小薇」，她經常發布影片，背景通常是飄揚的大陸國旗，並說著類似「加油，我的台灣同胞們，我們一起團結回家吧！！！」這樣的言論。她是三位被台灣政府驅逐的中國大陸網紅之一——這三人皆為嫁給台灣男性的陸籍女性。這些人於三月被告知不再受歡迎，無法繼續在台灣居住。另一位被驅逐的是劉振亞，她喜歡拍攝女兒在台北地標建築前唱愛國歌曲的影片。劉女士曾在一段為中國軍演歡呼的影片中說道：「也許明天一早醒來，我會看到整個島上飄滿五星紅旗，光是這個想法就讓我心潮澎湃。」
Taiwan’s** national immigration agency **decided last month that posts such as these were “advocating military aggression” and “promoting the elimination of our nation’s *sovereignty*”. It revoked the trio’s residency permits and declared that they would have to leave the country within ten days. Ms Liu appealed; she said Taiwan’s government was wrong to separate her from her husband and children. But she left before she could be kicked out, as did Zhang Yan, a third influencer. Ms Zhao was the last to go, having handed herself into authorities the day after the deadline to depart expired.
台灣的國家移民署上個月裁定，這些貼文是在「鼓吹軍事侵略」並「宣傳消滅我國主權」。因此，當局撤銷了這三人的居留許可，並命令她們在十天內離境。劉振亞提出了申訴，表示台灣政府不該將她與丈夫和孩子分開。但她在被強制驅離前自行離境，第三位網紅張晏也同樣選擇自行離開。趙婵是最後一位離開的人，她在離境期限過後一天主動向當局報到。
The deportations have sparked a debate about free speech in Taiwan. Some say the government has gone too far. If any of the influencers was actually helping the Chinese armed forces attack or infiltrate Taiwan, that would be a security threat, wrote Bruce Liao, a law professor at National Chengchi University. “But if she is only talking about it then no matter how disgusting it is, it’s still just speech.” Such freedoms are what distinguish Taiwan’s democracy from authoritarian regimes, he added.
這些驅逐事件在台灣引發了關於言論自由的爭論。有些人認為政府做得太過火。國立政治大學法律系教授廖元豪指出，如果這些網紅當中有人實際協助中國軍方攻擊或滲透台灣，那確實構成國安威脅，「但如果她只是談論這些事情——無論多麼令人反感——那仍然只是言論。」他補充說，正是這樣的自由，才讓台灣的民主制度有別於威權政體。
Others retort that Taiwan needs to rebalance freedom of speech with national-security concerns. Chinese influencers in Taiwan have sometimes made videos** echoing official Chinese propaganda**. As it staged the latest wargames around Taiwan, China’s military declared Lai Ching-te, Taiwan’s president, a “parasite”. It published a crude cartoon depicting Mr Lai as a green maggot, dangled from a pair of chopsticks while Taiwan burned below.
其他人則反駁說，台灣需要重新平衡言論自由和國家安全問題。台灣的中國有影響力人士有時會製作呼應中國官方宣傳的影片。中國軍方在台灣周邊舉行最新軍事演習時，稱台灣總統賴清德為「寄生蟲」。該報刊登了一幅粗俗的漫畫，將他描繪成一隻綠色的蛆蟲，懸掛在一雙筷子上，而台灣則在熊熊烈火中。
“We are living in a time when a Chinese blockade is imminent,” and yet pro-Chinese propaganda is flooding Taiwan’s media, says Raymond Sung of the Taiwan National Security Institute. Cracking down on Chinese influencers may only be the government’s “first step” in building a “unified national will to stand against the first wave of Chinese attack,” he says. Muzzling Taiwanese who support Chinese invasion could be next. The justice ministry has said it is thinking about new legislation after public consultations.
台灣國家安全研究所的宋雷蒙德表示，“我們生活在一個中國封鎖迫在眉睫的時代”，然而親中宣傳卻充斥著台灣媒體。他說，打擊中國有影響力的人物可能只是政府建立「統一的國家意志以抵抗中國第一波攻擊」的「第一步」。下一步可能是壓制支持中國入侵的台灣人。司法部表示正在考慮在公眾諮詢後制定新的立法。
If the deported influencers were hoping for a hero’s welcome on the mainland, they may be in for a shock. They have already drawn ridicule from Chinese netizens, who accuse them of milking patriotism for money while enjoying all the benefits of living in Taiwan. “Now they’re getting what they wished for: a return to the motherland’s embrace,” said one influencer inside China. “They can plant red flags here, too.”
如果這些被驅逐的網紅原本期待在中國大陸獲得英雄式的歡迎，那她們可能要大失所望了。她們已經遭到中國網民的嘲諷，指責她們一邊打著愛國的旗號賺錢，一邊享受在台灣生活的各種好處。「她們現在如願以償了：回到了祖國的懷抱，」一位在中國的網紅諷刺道，「在這裡她們也可以插紅旗啊。」
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