Chinese social media influencer “Yaya in Taiwan” (亞亞在台灣), whose real name is Liu Zhenya (劉振亞), made statements advocating for “reunifying Taiwan [with China] through military force.” After verifying that Liu did indeed make such statements, the National Immigration Agency revoked her dependency-based residency permit. She must now either leave the country voluntarily or be deported.
Operating your own page and becoming an influencer require a certain amount of support and user traffic. You must successfully gain approval for your views and attract an audience. Although Liu must leave the country, I cannot help but wonder how many more “Yayas” are still left in Taiwan, spreading ideas about China’s threat of unification by force in city streets or villages? It is quite concerning.
During former president Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration, the required period for Chinese nationals to acquire a national identification card was shortened from eight years to six years. Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators have even proposed shortening this period to four years, but have cross-strait tensions eased? Have Taiwan’s national defense and psychological preparedness improved? Are Taiwanese living more peaceful and stable lives? How in the world could someone live in a country while hoping it gets annexed by another?
To strengthen loyalty, the required residence period for Chinese before they can become naturalized citizens and obtain ID cards should be extended from six years back to eight years. Due to the current cross-strait situation and national defense needs, mandatory military service was lengthened from four months to one year. Chinese are citizens of a country that President William Lai (賴清德) has designated as a “foreign hostile force,” and — given the evidence that statements supporting China’s “unification by force” have been made publicly on Taiwanese soil — it is necessary that the residency period for Chinese nationals be extended by at least two years. In addition, they should be required to review the “Knowing Taiwan” curriculum and watch late filmmaker Chi Po-lin’s (齊柏林) documentary Beyond Beauty: Taiwan from Above, to deepen their recognition of Taiwan and its sovereignty.
Steps like these are essential to changing the inherited mentality of military unification and overcoming the harm caused by an authoritarian upbringing. The time has come to change the way that Chinese are treated in Taiwan.
If the entire nation can unite as one, it will further facilitate social integration and strengthen internal solidarity. Such unity would help to successfully complete the goals and mission of opposing the Chinese Communist Party and protecting Taiwan.
Hsiao Chia-hung is an English-speaking tour guide.
Translated by Kyra Gustavsen
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