Alleged contact between Xu Chunying (徐春鶯) — a resident of Taiwan by marriage since 1998 and director of the Taiwan New Immigrant Development Association — and Chinese officials have raised fresh concerns about Beijing’s attempts to influence Taiwan’s politics.
Prosecutors yesterday indicted Xu on suspicion of involvement in Beijing-directed election interference.
An investigation by prosecutors allegedly showed that Xu had, as early as November 2023, messaged Yang Wentao (楊文濤), director of cross-strait marriage affairs at the Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs, regarding the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) schedule for legislator rotation, the Chinese-language Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times) wrote in an exclusive report.
Photo: Yang Hsin-hui, Taipei Times
Xu in January 2024 told Yang that the TPP would prove crucial, as no party has a legislative majority, the report said.
She also shared plans to use Chinese spouses in Taiwan as political candidates, which could enable Beijing to cultivate influence within Taiwan’s political system, it said.
On March 18, 2024, Xu forwarded personal information about then-TPP legislator-at-large nominee Li Zhenxiu (李貞秀) to Sun Xian (孫憲), deputy director of the Shanghai chapter of the Council for the Promotion of Peaceful National Reunification, as well as developments in local politics, the Liberty Times reported.
In November 2024, Sun asked Xu whether the TPP would consider Li as a legislator-at-large nominee, with Xu replying that she would meet with TPP officials a week later to discuss the issue, it reported.
In August last year, Sun suggested that the TPP should nominate Li regardless of her election prospects, then publicly claim that the Mainland Affairs Council had blocked her from taking office to create an issue regarding Chinese spouses being elected, the report said.
Democratic Progressive Party spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) said that the case raised serious concerns about the TPP’s ties to Xu and Li, accusing the party of undermining Taiwan’s legal framework and autonomy.
Xu claimed to have been a Chinese state official and described herself as “pro-China,” indicating alignment with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Wu said.
Li’s nationality has been the subject of debate even before she was sworn in as a legislator-at-large on Feb. 3, mainly due to doubts over her eligibility to serve, as the government contends that she failed to meet several qualifying conditions to take office — including formally renouncing her Chinese citizenship.
Xu’s alleged actions serve the CCP’s goal to sow dissent in Taiwan, Wu said, adding that the links between TPP candidates and Beijing were a major concern.
National Cheng Kung University professor of political science Wang Hung-jen (王宏仁) said that the law might be insufficient to counter such infiltration.
If Li is allowed into the legislature, it could pose a security risk regardless of the TPP’s intentions, Wang said.
Beijing could attempt to frame such situations as discrimination against Chinese married to Taiwanese, but the issue concerns legal compliance, not identity, he said.
Citizen Congress Watch director Chang Hung-lin (張宏林) said that political participation by immigrants should be supported if conducted lawfully, adding that the TPP must adequately vet its candidates.
The party must clarify its position to address public concerns about possible links with China, Chang said.
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