Taiwan revokes visa of pro-Beijing Chinese influencer

Taiwanese authorities have stated that a Chinese influencer residing in Taiwan must leave the island within days or face deportation, following her video supporting the use of force by China to take over Taiwan. This unusual action comes amid heightened cross-strait tensions and growing concerns in Taiwan about Chinese influence and infiltration.

Taiwan's Immigration Department has revoked the influencer's visa, declaring that her "actions promote the elimination of Taiwan's sovereignty and are unacceptable to Taiwanese society." Authorities have confirmed that the influencer, surnamed Liu, moved to Taiwan from mainland China on a dependent visa after marrying a Taiwanese man. Local media reports that Ms. Liu must leave Taiwan before March 24, or she will be forcibly deported.

According to a statement released by the Immigration Department on Saturday, Ms. Liu will not be allowed to apply for a dependent visa again for five years. It is extremely rare for authorities to deport Chinese spouses of Taiwanese citizens. Ms. Liu, better known on social media as "Taiwan Yaya," frequently posts pro-Beijing commentary videos with her daughter.

In the videos, Ms. Liu refers to Taiwan as "Taiwan Province" and echoes the official Chinese line that Taiwan is "an inseparable part of China." China claims sovereignty over the self-governing island of Taiwan and does not rule out the use of force. Taiwan, on the other hand, considers itself distinct from China. Ms. Liu said in a Douyin video: "The complete reunification of the motherland is inevitable, regardless of what the people of Taiwan want."

She added: "Peaceful reunification is much more difficult than reunification by force. It depends on the choice of the Taiwanese people." As criticism of her videos mounted, Ms. Liu posted on Douyin in February that she would "never back down." She later stated that she was "trying to promote good relations between the two sides of the strait" through her videos and "eliminate the divisions between people." She said, "I am just objectively analyzing and sharing my own views. Those who promote Taiwan independence...are the ones who are really harming Taiwanese society."

Her remarks have drawn condemnation from Taiwanese leaders, with Interior Minister Liu Shyh-fang stating that freedom of speech is "not" an excuse to call for an invasion of Taiwan. Ms. Liu is one of 360,000 mainland Chinese spouses residing in Taiwan, whose activities have come under increasing scrutiny amid rising cross-strait tensions. Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te last week announced a series of measures aimed at curbing Chinese influence and infiltration in Taiwan, calling for greater control over cross-strait exchanges, stating that China views such exchanges as a way to "create internal divisions in Taiwan."