The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) has opened an investigation into influencer Holger Chen’s (陳之漢) controversial remarks calling for the decapitation of President William Lai (賴清德) during a live stream on Sunday. The incident has triggered concerns about abuse of freedom of speech, as well as concerns about endangering national security and the safety of Taiwan’s elected leader.
Chen is a gym influencer also known as Kuan Chang (館長). Once a supporter of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) speaking out vocally against Beijing, Chen has become an active backer of the Taiwan People’s Party, making a political about-face to denounce the Taiwanese government while fawning over communist China.
Chen made the beheading remarks while live streaming about political affairs and cross-strait issues. While responding to claims that China “in 2027 will deploy military force to invade Taiwan,” Chen referred to recent news reports about Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) exercises practicing “decapitation strikes” and ”precise beheadings,” and suddenly called for them to “chop off the head of Lai Ching-te.” Chen further urged the PLA to invade, saying: “Brothers, I am waiting. I think about it day and night.”
Chen later explained that he was commenting on the PLA’s rehearsal of “decapitation strikes,” and his quotes about beheading Lai were taken out of context. Reviewing his live stream, Chen’s remarks clearly echoed China’s military threats to invade Taiwan and target Taiwanese leaders.
According to the Routine Activity Theory, hypothesized by US academics Lawrence Cohen and Marcus Felson in 1979, Chen’s beheading remarks have elements of a crime. First, there is an attacker with criminal intent. Second, Lai was named as a potential target of a politically motivated action. Chen has used the live stream to reach an audience who could be motivated to commit the crime; viewers could become offenders, as well as victims.
The CIB launched an investigation of Chen’s remarks, which contravene the Criminal Code’s Article 153 “inciting others to commit crimes” and Article 35 “intimidating people to endanger security.” The bureau said in a statement that Taiwan has broad free speech protections, but those freedoms are not limitless.
Chen’s beheading remarks have raised national security concerns. Alongside escalating military exercises and incursions in protected air and sea space, China has long made efforts to reach out to groups and individuals in Taiwan, such as political figures, religious groups, gang members, entertainers and Internet influencers, to amplify its messaging and broader cognitive warfare, aiming to shape Taiwan’s public opinion and disturbing social stability.
During a trip to China in June, Chen praised China’s infrastructure and public facilities, making admiring remarks about public restrooms, vending machines and even trash cans. His exaggerated admiration of Chinese infrastructure was paired with criticism of Taiwan, which triggered controversy in Taiwan, but was broadcast by China’s state-funded media as a model for cross-strait interaction.
Furthermore, Chen’s beheading comments have echoed China’s military threats and its attempts to intimidate Taiwan. Chen’s words spreading across the Internet have turned into an ideological tool of China.
Freedom of speech must be based on respecting the rights of others, and must not incite violence or endanger public safety. Chen’s controversial beheading remarks should be penalized in accordance with the law, becoming a lesson for the public that abusing freedom of speech bears consequences.
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