(March 26): A Chinese influencer was deported from Taiwan for backing a military seizure of the self-run democracy and has returned to her country — an episode that comes as Taipei steps up efforts to counter Beijing’s propaganda.

Liu Zhenya, who is married to a Taiwanese man and has three children, left alone on Tuesday evening on a flight to China, local media outlets reported. 

Taiwan authorities ordered Liu to leave because she posted videos supporting the idea of a Chinese military takeover. In one she said: “Maybe when we wake up tomorrow morning, the island will already be covered with five-star red flags, and it makes me happy even just thinking about it.”

The remark described China’s national flag. Immigration officials later said Liu “advocated the elimination of our country’s sovereignty,” which would not be allowed.

The episode marks the first time Taiwan ordered the Chinese spouse of a local person deported over national security concerns. Some 367,000 Chinese people have Taiwanese spouses, according to official data from the government in Taipei. The incident also illustrates the balance officials in Taiwan must strike between allowing broad freedoms, like free speech, and protecting their democracy in the face of threats from China.

A spokesman for the Chinese government office in charge of Taiwan affairs, Chen Binhua, criticised Taiwan’s ruling party, saying at a press briefing on Wednesday it was targeting cross-strait marriages and had “torn families apart”. Liu’s husband and children remained in Taiwan.

Beijing considers Taiwan to be part of its territory and wants to bring the archipelago of 23 million people under its control someday, by force if it must. 

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te has recently prioritised countering influence and espionage efforts by China. This month, he labelled China a “foreign hostile force” and announced moves such as the potential resumption of military trials for soldiers accused of treason or spying during peacetime.

While Lai’s comments haven’t led to an immediate escalation of tensions, he is taking a tougher stance on Beijing than his predecessors.

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has stepped up military activity around Taiwan since he took office in May last year. China linked drills last week to recent US moves backing Taiwan. Officials in Taipei have said the PLA is unlikely to attempt an invasion in the near future, partly because it lacks the amphibious landing capabilities.

Liu, the influencer, has some 530,000 followers on her “Yaya in Taiwan” Douyin account. She mostly posts videos about living in Taiwan and her children growing up. Her family had asked a court to halt the order forcing her to leave Taiwan but it refused, saying some of her clips threatened the stability of Taiwanese society.

Premier Cho Jung-tai told reporters on Tuesday that “freedom of speech has its limits”.

“You can’t defame the country while asking the country to protect you. For you to destroy the country, this is wrong.”

Separately, Chen, the spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office in Beijing, said a court sentenced a publisher from Taiwan to three years in jail on a charge of inciting secession.

China detained Li Yanhe in 2023 for alleged involvement in activities that hurt national security. He has published several Chinese-language bestsellers.

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