Internet celebrity Holger Chen (陳之漢) yesterday concluded a six-day, five-night visit to Shanghai, responding to extensive media coverage in Taiwan by saying that he had paid for the trip with his own money.
Chen said he "never degraded Taiwan, never said Taiwan was not good," despite accusations that he belittled his country of birth by praising China.
Some of his critics focused on financial gain because they "didn't know what to say," the celebrity gym owner said.
Photo: CNA
He did not engage in business discussions on the trip, Chen said, adding that he does hope for commercial opportunities in China.
Chen arrived in Shanghai on Tuesday last week, saying that he aimed to act as an "ambassador of peace" and encourage more cross-strait exchanges during his first trip to the country.
He also pledged to livestream the entire trip to his large following in Taiwan — a move that Mainland Affairs Council Deputy Minister Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said could not have been done without permission from the Chinese authorities.
However, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office spokeswoman Zhu Fenglian (朱鳳蓮) said on Wednesday that Chen traveled to Shanghai on his own.
Taiwanese, including Internet celebrities such as Chen, were welcome to experience China's food, convenient transportation and quality goods, she said.
Hundreds of thousands of people in Taiwan watched Chen's livestreams as he traveled around China and interacted with locals.
At one point, Chen did not directly respond when asked "What country are you from?" — a potentially awkward question for Taiwanese to answer in China, as Beijing claims the nation as part of its territory.
Taiwanese media also criticized Chen for praising China, including the "good infrastructure and trendy elements" of Shanghai Pudong International Airport — comments he said were "taken out of context.”
Other comments Chen made perplexed many viewers, such as his statement that a milk tea in Taiwan can cost as much as NT$800.
Chen said that he has previously harbored strong animosity toward China and never expected to visit, but recent online information differed from his past perceptions, prompting him to self-fund the trip to "show the truth to everyone."
Chen is no stranger to politics. He has previously voiced support for the Democratic Progressive Party and the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) under former TPP chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲).
Upon arrival at Shanghai Airport on June 10, Chen said he aimed to expose the "lies" spread by the DPP, which was using "fear of China" as an election strategy.
Despite praising China while visiting the country, Chen said he has always believed Taiwan is "number one."
"I'm Taiwanese, how could I belittle Taiwan?" he asked.
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