《TAIPEI TIMES》Beijing targeting family of ‘separatists’: US report

健康 國際 地方 蒐奇 影音 財經 娛樂 汽車 時尚 體育 3 C 評論 藝文 玩咖 食譜 地產 專區 TAIPEI TIMES 求職

An illustration on Jan. 25, 2022, shows chess pieces in front of the flags of Taiwan, right, and China. Photo: Dado Ruvic, Reuters

ELECTION MEDDLING:The father of mayoral candidate Puma Shen, the brother of UMC founder Robert Tsao and the interior minister’s nephew were cited as examples

By Hollie Younger / Staff writer

The People’s Republic of China （PRC） could be intensifying suppression of family members of so-called “diehard Taiwanese separatists,” including the father of Taipei mayoral candidate Puma Shen （沈伯洋）, in an attempt to sway the upcoming election, a report by a US think tank said on Tuesday.

Beijing is “likely targeting family members of ‘separatists’ to coerce the ‘separatists’ to stop their activities that the PRC views as promoting ‘Taiwanese independence,’” the Institute for the Study of War said in its latest “China and Taiwan Update,” written in collaboration with the American Enterprise Institute.

The paper referenced its sanctioning of VWAY, a company owned by Shen Tu-cheng （沈土城）, the father of Democratic Progressive Party （DPP） Legislator Puma Shen.

The sanctions, announced on Wednesday last week by China’s Taiwan Affairs Office （TAO）, prohibit VWAY from trading with PRC organizations, enterprises or individuals, it said.

Puma Shen was added to the list of about a dozen “diehard separatists” in October 2024, who may face severe punishment — including the death penalty — under 2024 legal interpretations of Beijing’s “Anti-Secession” Law, it said.

Other political figures facing coercive measures from Beijing include the brother of United Microelectronics Corp founder Robert Tsao （曹興誠）, who was denied entry to China earlier this month, and the nephew of the Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang （劉世芳）, who lost his job in China in April, it said.

Meanwhile, a woman was arrested in California earlier this month for allegedly spying on the son of President William Lai （賴清德） on behalf of China, the report said.

Lai, Puma Shen and Liu are all members of the DPP, which “considers Taiwan and the PRC to be separate countries,” it said.

The article suggested that Beijing was ramping up coercive measures against Puma Shen in the lead-up to the nine-in-one local elections on Nov. 28.

In a poll by Taipei Trust in Democracy Association last month, Puma Shen was trailing his main opponent, Chinese Nationalist Party （KMT） Mayor Chiang Wan-an （蔣萬安）, by 1.2 points, but the latest poll by the same group showed him ahead by 17 points.

“Jun Zhengping,” a social media account affiliated with the Chinese military, and the TAO also blasted Taiwanese television host Kevin Tsai （蔡康永） for attending a campaign event for Puma Shen, saying that advocates of “Taiwanese independence” are “betrayers of the Chinese nation” and that there is no room for ambiguity in “matters of principle,” the article said.

Even if these efforts fail to convince Puma Shen to drop out of the race, public targeting could dissuade Taiwanese public figures from associating with the legislator or his views, it added.

不用抽 不用搶 現在用APP看新聞 保證天天中獎 點我下載APP 按我看活動辦法

《TAIPEI TIMES》September industrial production rises 19 percent

《TAIPEI TIMES》Fitness industry booms, gyms hit record

出國大崩潰！托運行李竟人間蒸發 專家教你1動作自救

道瓊狂殺逾600點！費半卻止跌了 台積電ADR也回神

愛馬仕9個月營收4300億！最賣座商品是「它」

72歲台灣第一代資深玉女歌手回來了！高雄現蹤美成這樣

自由爆新聞》變天訊號…洋流擴散北台灣？他驚「戒慎恐懼協會」再添+1

自由說新聞》西藏強震路毀屋塌死傷再增！官員災區「精緻照」引論戰

選舉年放假率增31％！《紐時》報導台灣颱風假 特別點名蔣萬安

恐怖！台灣旅客親曝歐洲住宿驚魂記 保險箱遭打開、近20萬不翼而飛

新聞360》美軍「解除封印」台海衝突秒出兵？學者揭華府助台關鍵訊號

明天還有颱風假？這些縣市宣布了（不斷更新）