TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Mainland Affairs Council said on Monday that China may be linked to the assault on Japanese journalist Yaita Akio.
Yaita was punched by a 33-year-old Chinese national surnamed Liao (廖) after a speech in Taichung on Monday, per Newtalk. Police later arrested Liao at Taichung International Airport as he attempted to board a flight to Busan, South Korea.
The Mainland Affairs Council said it activated an interagency response mechanism after learning of the assault. The council said police and immigration authorities worked together to arrest the suspect, while prosecutors continue to investigate.
The council said this could mark the first cross-border repression case following the implementation of China’s new ethnic unity law, Newtalk reported. It vowed that the government would punish those responsible while strengthening measures against such threats.
It added that the case was similar to two previous incidents in which the Muay Thai studio of Hong Kong activist Henry Tong Wai-hung (湯偉雄) in Taipei was splashed with red paint. MAC suspects that overseas forces may be exploiting Taiwan’s open entry system to carry out attacks before quickly leaving the country.
Yaita, CEO of the Indo-Pacific Strategic Thinktank, said the incident should not be viewed merely as an assault case, as it could involve more serious issues, per UDN. He called for authorities to investigate whether the attack was a politically motivated attempt to suppress freedom of speech in Taiwan and whether it was carried out as part of an organized plan.
