Taipei: Taiwan's interior minister stated that a Chinese national advocating for Taiwan's annexation by China through military means should leave the country within 10 days of receiving her deportation order issued on Saturday. Liu Shyh-fang explained to lawmakers at the Legislative Yuan that the woman, identified by her surname Liu and known on social media as "Yaya in Taiwan," received a deportation notice on March 15.
According to Focus Taiwan, Liu Shyh-fang was asked by Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker Lee Kuen-cheng about the exact deadline for the woman's departure. The minister did not provide a direct answer but clarified that "in theory, Ms. Liu should leave the country within 10 days after receiving the deportation order."
The minister compared the deportation order to a registered mail situation, where the timeline begins the day after the recipient receives the letter, allowing for some flexibility. "If it was delivered to your house but you didn't receive it until the next day, then counting would start from the third day, which means there is some wiggle room," Liu Shyh-fang said. However, she emphasized that regardless of the exact day, the authorities will allow Liu time to leave the country safely.
The Chinese woman, residing in Taiwan due to her marriage to a Taiwanese citizen, sparked public outcry with her comments on the Chinese social media platform Douyin, advocating for China's "unification" with Taiwan via military force. According to the National Immigration Agency (NIA), her social media statements, followed by nearly 400,000 users, breached regulations for Chinese residents in Taiwan.
The Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area allows for deportation under circumstances threatening national or social stability. The NIA stated that Liu's remarks "advocated the elimination of our country's sovereignty" and are "not tolerated by [Taiwanese] society." Liu will also be banned from applying for family-based residency in Taiwan for five years.
