Two Taiwanese nationals have potentially violated the law forbidding participation in the Chinese Communist party, attracting the attention of both netizens and authorities.
Taiwanese taekwondo competitor Lee Tung-hsien (李東憲) displayed China’s flag upon winning a bronze medal at the Asia-Pacific Masters Games in South Korea, which concluded on Saturday. Taiwan’s Sports Administration says Lee was competing on an individual basis and not part of any national team. Lee attacked Taiwan as a “ghost island” after facing online criticism. Ghost island is a derogatory term for Taiwan that expresses general dissatisfaction with the society and the economy. Lee also called Taiwan a “dictatorship” that lacks freedom of speech.
The flag incident came just a day after the Interior Ministry fined a Taiwanese woman named Ling Yu-shih (凌友詩) NT$500,000 (US$16,300) for attending China’s National People’s Congress. Ling was fined the same amount in 2019 for a similar charge but has refused to pay it, according to the Liberty Times.
Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) said on Monday that if Lee is a Communist Party member and develops party organizations in Taiwan, he will be investigated and dealt with according to the law. Regarding Ling, Chen said that participating in official Chinese Communist Party bodies violates the law, and the government will follow legal procedure.