Taipei: Two Chinese nationals who were residing in Taiwan through marriage must depart the island by March 31, following the revocation of their residence permits for advocating "military unification" with China, according to an announcement made by the National Immigration Agency (NIA) on Wednesday. The individuals, known by their online aliases Xiao Wei and En Qi, were active on the Chinese social media platform Douyin, where they made statements in support of China's military actions toward Taiwan.
According to Focus Taiwan, the NIA specified that Xiao Wei and En Qi, who were previously legally residing in Taiwan through marriage, have been ordered to leave the country after making remarks deemed supportive of China's military ambitions. Xiao Wei's online posts included statements like "five-star red flags are seen all over the streets in Taiwan," which the NIA interpreted as advocating for military unification and the elimination of Taiwan's sovereignty. Similarly, En Qi's comments praised the People's Liberation Army's military strength and reiterated that "Taiwan is an inseparable part of China."
The NIA clarified that Xiao Wei and En Qi had not filed any appeals against the decision as of Wednesday and emphasized the legal obligation for the two women to exit Taiwan by the specified deadline. Their cases follow that of another Chinese spouse, Liu Zhenya, who was ordered to leave Taiwan for similar reasons. Liu departed for Fuzhou from Taipei Songshan Airport on Tuesday evening, after her appeal to the Ministry of the Interior to revoke her deportation order was unsuccessful.
The deportation cases have sparked a debate on free speech in Taiwan, particularly regarding whether new legislation should be introduced to restrict speech promoting war or military unification with China. The current legal framework for these deportations is based on Article 18 of the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area, which is applicable only to Chinese nationals in Taiwan.
Deputy Justice Minister Hsu Hsi-hsiang mentioned that discussions are ongoing about potentially establishing a dedicated law or amending the Criminal Code to address such issues, while balancing freedom of speech and public interest. Meanwhile, a group of 75 scholars issued a joint statement expressing concerns that freedom of speech in Taiwan is increasingly under threat, criticizing the government's actions as reminiscent of martial law-era thought control.
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) also weighed in, emphasizing that most Chinese spouses in Taiwan are supportive of the island and should not be stereotyped based on these isolated incidents. The NIA reiterated its stance that advocating for military unification crosses the line of free speech and vowed to continue investigating similar cases within legal boundaries.