Taiwan revokes visa of pro-Beijing Chinese influencer

A Chinese social media influencer living in Taiwan has been ordered to leave the island after posting videos that support the idea of China taking over Taiwan by force. This decision by Taiwanese authorities comes amid rising tensions between Taiwan and China, as well as growing concerns about Chinese influence in Taiwan. The National Immigration Agency (NIA) of Taiwan revoked the influencer's visa, stating that her actions promote the idea of eliminating Taiwan's sovereignty, which is not acceptable in Taiwanese society. The influencer, known by her surname Liu, moved to Taiwan on a dependent visa after marrying a Taiwanese citizen. Reports indicate that she has until March 24 to leave Taiwan voluntarily, or she will face deportation. If she departs, she will be barred from applying for another dependent visa for five years. It is quite unusual for Taiwanese authorities to expel Chinese spouses of Taiwanese citizens. Liu, who is popularly known as Yaya on social media, frequently shares videos featuring her young daughter. In these videos, she refers to Taiwan as 'Taiwan province' and echoes the Chinese government's narrative that Taiwan is an integral part of China. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of military force to assert its claim. However, many people in Taiwan view themselves as distinct from China. In one of her videos on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, Liu stated, 'The complete unification of the motherland is a necessity, regardless of what the Taiwanese people want. ' She further added, 'Peaceful unification is much harder than unification by force,' suggesting that the future of Taiwan depends on the choices made by its people. As criticism of her videos grew, Liu took to Douyin in February to assert that she 'would never back down. ' She later claimed that her intention was to promote understanding between both sides and to bridge the gap between people. 'I'm just analyzing objectively and sharing my own views,' she explained. Liu also expressed that those advocating for Taiwan's independence are the ones causing real harm to Taiwanese society. Her statements have drawn sharp criticism from Taiwanese leaders, including Interior Minister Liu Shyh-fang, who emphasized that freedom of speech does not justify calls for the invasion of Taiwan. Liu is among approximately 360,000 mainland Chinese spouses residing in Taiwan, whose activities have come under increased scrutiny due to escalating tensions across the Taiwan Strait. In response to these concerns, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te recently announced a series of measures aimed at curbing Chinese influence and infiltration on the island. He called for stricter controls on cross-strait exchanges, which he believes China uses to create internal divisions within Taiwan.