TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A Chinese influencer who advocated for Taiwan's annexation by force left the country a few hours before a government deportation order was to be implemented.
The National Immigration Agency on Mar. 11 revoked the residence permit for Liu Zhenya (劉振亞), a Chinese woman known as “Yaya in Taiwan” (亞亞在台灣), for posting remarks that posed a risk to national security. The NIA ordered her to leave the country within 10 days, and Tuesday was her final day to leave voluntarily, per CNA.
In the morning, she held a press conference outside the Ministry of the Interior, demanding the revocation of the administrative penalty. Initially, Liu said she had no intention of leaving Taiwan, but in the afternoon, she changed her mind and decided to leave voluntarily.
In the evening, Liu, accompanied by her husband and family, arrived at Songshan Airport. Pro-independence and pro-unification groups also gathered at the airport.
Approximately 120 personnel from the Taipei City Police Department’s Songshan Precinct, the National Police Agency’s Aviation Police Bureau, and the Special Police Sixth Headquarters were deployed. The NIA also dispatched personnel to the scene.
Around 7 p.m., Liu appeared at the airline check-in counter. Internet personalities such as YouTuber Pa Chiung (八炯) and former pro-CCP influencer and rapper Chen Po-yuan (陳柏源) were also present, chanting slogans like "bon voyage" and “return to the motherland.”
After completing the check-in process, Liu made a statement at the scene. She said Tuesday was the deadline for her voluntary departure and, after consulting with her attorney, she believed she must respect Taiwan’s legal procedures.
Liu said that she was leaving "with a clear conscience" and urged the MOI and the NIA to act under the law rather than obstruct her when she applies to reunite with her family in the future.
Liu said that her appeal process is not yet complete. She said she hoped to one day return to continue the legal proceedings.
Just before boarding, Liu hugged her husband and children and had a verbal exchange with Pa Chiung and others at the scene. She later boarded a Xiamen Airlines flight to Fuzhou, China.
After her departure, Pa Chiung, Chen, and others gathered outside the airport entrance for media interviews, singing and chanting phrases like "victory" and "wishing Ya-Ya a safe journey back to the CCP." They said their next focus would be another Chinese spouse and influencer in Taiwan, Xiao Wei (小微).
Political commentator Chung Nien-huang (鍾年晃) told CNA earlier that Liu's advocacy of military force against the country is something no Taiwanese support, adding that this issue is unrelated to freedom of speech.
