Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday said she hoped Chinese authorities would not make things difficult for a Chinese student studying in Taiwan who recently expressed open support for her.
During a chat on Tuesday with a 300-student audience at Shih Hsin University in Taipei, of which about two-fifths were exchange students from China, one Chinese student surnamed Dai (戴) said he was a long-time admirer of Tsai, adding at the time that he hoped his remarks “don’t make it back across the Strait.”
However, after it was broadcast on television and on the Internet, Dai the next day reportedly posted a message on his Facebook page saying he, a native of Zhejiang Province, planned to return home soon to clear up the matter with the Zhejiang branch of the Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) and engage in self-criticism with the office.
“The matter highlights the difference between Taiwan and China,” Tsai said yesterday when approached by reporters for a comment on the matter.
“What the student had done is a common thing in Taiwan. And if the student thus has to be investigated by Chinese authorities, then we have to rethink why there is a huge difference between the two sides,” she added.
According to Lee Kung-chin (李功勤), head secretary at Shih Hsin University, Dai was not recalled by Chinese authorities over the matter.
Lee said after TV news reports broadcast the clip of Dai’s remarks, Dai encountered various criticisms and pressure, so he contacted Zhejiang’s TAO on his own initiative.
According to Lee, the Zhejiang TAO, citing freedom of expression, told Dai that there was no need to change his schedule and rush back to China over the matter. Lee added that the TAO instead encouraged Dai to keep up with his studies in Taiwan.
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