TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Mainland Affairs Council announced on Thursday the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation is set to face punishment over a controversial remark made by Chinese student delegation member Song Siyao (宋思瑤).

MAC Deputy Chief Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said the foundation could be banned from organizing similar events for six months to five years, per CNA. While he emphasized that the punishment is aimed at the foundation, Liang added that the MAC will consider whether to impose restrictions on Song.

The controversy began on Sunday when Song, during a visit to the Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium, congratulated Taiwan’s WBSC Premier12 championship team while referring to Taiwan as “Chinese Taipei”, per UDN. The comment led to protests at National Taiwan University and Tsinghua University during the delegation’s visit on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Liang criticized the use of "Chinese Taipei," saying it diminishes Taiwan's status as a sovereign nation and reaffirmed that Taiwan's sovereignty is non-negotiable in cross-strait exchanges. Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) echoed these concerns, on Wednesday, calling for a review of the incident regardless of Song's intentions, per FTNN.

On Thursday, Ma Ying-jeou Foundation Director Hsiao Hsu-tsen (蕭旭岑) defended Song’s remark, saying that "Chinese Taipei" is a common term used in China, per ETtoday. Hsiao stressed that the foundation’s mission is to foster positive relationships between Taiwanese and Chinese students, which he claimed could improve cross-strait relations.

DPP Legislator Shen Pao-yang (沈伯洋) criticized the use of "Chinese Taipei," saying the term traps Taiwan within China’s legal framework, per Liberty Times. Shen suggested that such exchanges may be part of China’s broader United Front strategy, and called for a ban on such events because the risks of Chinese influence could not be mitigated.

He added that he had already discussed the issue with the MAC and the Ministry of Culture last week.