Straits Exchange Foundation Secretary-General Luo Wen-jia (羅文嘉) said Wednesday that China's efforts at religious exchanges with Taiwan are merely a united front strategy aimed at expanding its influence. His remarks follow President Lai Ching-te’s (賴清德) recent introduction of 17 countermeasures to national security threats, including stricter oversight of cross-strait exchanges.
During a radio interview, Luo warned that China has never abandoned its goal of taking Taiwan by force and that Taiwanese people must recognize this reality. Luo says that over 70 Taiwan nationals have gone missing in China in the past year, with no clear legal standards for their detention or release. Due to these dangers, he advises against traveling to China, including transiting through Hong Kong.
On religious exchanges, Luo says that the Chinese Communist Party does not tolerate religious beliefs because it sees anything placed above communism as a threat to its rule. He adds that a country without religious freedom cannot claim to be conducting genuine religious exchanges. Luo pointed to China's promotion of Mazu pilgrimages and Guan Gong worship exchanges with Taiwan as examples of united front tactics aimed at influencing Taiwan rather than fostering cultural or spiritual ties.