On January 10, 2026, Japanese Renewal Party’s Chinese descent senator, Ishihei, visited Taiwan and attended a seminar hosted by the Indo-Pacific Strategic Think Tank on the 9th. During the event, he was verbally abused by New Party’s Deputy Secretary-General You Zhibin who held up a sign with the derogatory term “traitor.” The Executive Director of the Indo-Pacific Strategic Think Tank, Akihiro Yaita, pointed out that this incident was not about freedom of speech as claimed by You Zhibin but a blatant violation of democratic discussion norms.
The Indo-Pacific Strategic Think Tank held a seminar titled “How to Deal with China” at the Chang Rong-fa Foundation on the 9th. Akihiro Yaita, the Executive Director, served as the moderator. The panel included Legislator Shen Boyang, Japanese Senator Ishihei, Honorary Professor Ming Juzheng from National Taiwan University, Professor Yang Haiying from Shizuoka University in Japan, and a short speech via video from Yu Maochun, Director of the China Center at the Hudson Institute in the United States.
During Shen Boyang’s speech, You Zhibin rushed to the front row where Ishihei was seated, holding the “traitor” sign and shouting, “Come debate, whose is the Diaoyu Islands? Are they China’s or Taiwan’s? Defend the Diaoyu Islands!” Security personnel promptly removed the disruptive You Zhibin from the venue. After the incident, You Zhibin took to Facebook, threatening to sue Shen Boyang for alleged incitement to violence, and filing complaints against Akihiro Yaita and others.
Akihiro Yaita posted on Facebook stating that an extremely inappropriate disturbance occurred at the seminar hosted by the Indo-Pacific Strategic Think Tank on the 9th. “A man entered the venue and loudly insulted our guest, Japanese Senator Ishihei, and held up a ‘traitor’ sign. After being escorted out, he shouted, ‘Is there freedom of speech in Taiwan?'”