Taiwan Faces Unification Debate as Chinese Influencer Refuses Deportation

A Chinese national's defiance of deportation order sparks controversy amid cross-strait tensions.

Taipei, Taiwan - A Chinese social media influencer advocating for China's "military unification" of Taiwan finds herself at the center of a deportation dispute, having declared she has "no plan to leave" the island. The individual, identified by the surname Liu (劉), was served a deportation notice last week, requiring her to depart Taiwan by Tuesday at the latest.

The deportation order was issued by Taiwan's National Immigration Agency (NIA) following Liu's calls for China's annexation of Taiwan via military force on her Douyin account "Yaya in Taiwan" (亞亞在台灣). Her family-based residence certificate was subsequently cancelled. Liu is married to a Taiwanese citizen and has three children.

In an interview with Taiwanese TV channel TVBS News, Liu stated she had not booked a flight and maintained her innocence. She claimed that her earlier statements regarding "unification through military force" were intended to analyze the potential dangers of such an action, emphasizing her support for "peaceful unification" instead, a position that contradicts the NIA's investigation.

Liu has expressed concern that her deportation would cause "major harm" to her children. The Taiwan International Family Association (TIFA), a New Taipei-based non-governmental organization, announced a press conference will be held on Tuesday morning outside the Ministry of the Interior (MOI), the NIA's parent agency. TIFA's statement expressed concern over the breaking up of a cross-strait family and urged Interior Minister Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) to address what they perceive as an "abuse of power" by the NIA and revoke the deportation order.

According to the NIA, Liu must leave Taiwan before Wednesday to avoid forcible deportation. The agency has cited violations of regulations governing Chinese residents in Taiwan, specifically the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area, due to her statements on social media, where she has nearly 400,000 followers.

Liu appealed the agency's decision, but the Taipei High Administrative Court ruled against her on Friday, citing her "war propaganda" and rejecting her petition to suspend the deportation order. Following Liu’s appeal on Monday, the case is now pending review in the Supreme Administrative Court, with no set hearing date. The Regulations Governing the Forcible Deportation of the People of the Mainland Area and the Residents of Hong Kong and Macau provide the legal framework for the NIA to detain individuals until they have left Taiwan.