Following the recent investigation by the Chongqing Public Security Bureau in China against Taiwanese Democratic Progressive Party legislator Shen Boyang, the Chinese state media CCTV recently released a documentary emphasizing the possibility of a global manhunt for Shen Boyang through international law enforcement agencies like Interpol. However, experts have pointed out that whether Shen Boyang is in Taiwan or abroad, international law enforcement agencies cannot exercise any rights to arrest him. The majority of Taiwanese people see China’s “cross-border suppression” as a joke, interpreting China’s sanctions against Shen Boyang as a recognition of his stance in support of Taiwan’s autonomy.
CCTV news aired an approximately 8-minute special report on November 9 on “exposing” Shen Boyang, quoting legal experts highlighting the potential for global arrest and cross-border judicial cooperation through Interpol.
In response to the video, Shen Boyang immediately stated, “Taiwan and China are separate nations, so they are not subject to each other. Don’t even think about fabricating charges to reach into Taiwan.”
As early as October last year, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the Chinese Communist Party listed Shen Boyang, the founder of the “Black Bear Academy,” as a “stubborn Taiwan independence element.” This list also includes Taiwan’s current Vice President Xiao Meiqin, former Minister of Foreign Affairs Wu Zhaoxie, and former Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Chairman Cao Xingcheng.
In late October of this year, the Chongqing Public Security Bureau issued a public notice stating that Shen Boyang initiated and established the Taiwan independence separatist organization “Black Bear Academy,” engaged in activities of splitting the country, and decided to investigate Shen Boyang for suspected crimes of splitting the country.
In response to the video released by CCTV, Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council immediately issued a statement strongly condemning China for collectively coercing the Taiwanese people through “cross-border suppression,” which is a blatant challenge to international norms and order. “We believe that these operations will not only target me as a legislator in the future, but may also extend to all Taiwanese people.”
In light of this, Epoch Times conducted a special interview with Samp, a Ph.D. in law and a veteran commentator on current affairs who is also a lawyer. Samp stated that due to Chinese political manipulation, Taiwan cannot join Interpol, but Interpol police officers, whether in Taiwan or abroad, cannot exercise any rights to arrest Shen Boyang. Any cross-border arrest or extradition by Interpol must exclude political prisoners. Even if China has extradition treaties with other countries, political prisoners must be excluded.
Born in Hong Kong, Samp explained that in the case of Hong Kong, many individuals exiled overseas cannot be arrested by the Chinese authorities. The only concern is when in a country under the influence of China, such as Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, or Vietnam, extra caution is required. This is unrelated to Interpol but rather closely tied to China’s collaborators in those areas.
Samp emphasized that including himself and many others who have fled Hong Kong, as long as they avoid countries that may subject them to extradition, there should be no issues.
Director of the Taiwan Research Center at the China Center of the Taiwan Institute, Wu Sezhi, expressed to Epoch Times that the essence of China’s actions is to use legal warfare to test the reactions of Taiwanese society, individuals China seeks to either befriend or target, and most importantly, the international community. Whether its extraterritorial jurisdiction will have an impact remains to be seen. Apart from a few countries friendly to China, its extraterritorial jurisdiction is extremely limited.
On November 9, Shen Boyang also took to Facebook to say that the Chinese Communist Party’s documentary may be an attempt to divert attention from the news of Taiwanese Vice President Xiao Meiqin and former President Tsai Ing-wen’s upcoming visits to Europe. He added, “Whether I am wanted or not, Nobody cares, Taiwanese people truly do not care about the CCP.”
The Mainland Affairs Council pointed out that in addition to “cross-border suppression” against Taiwanese legislators, China has further escalated by saying things like “back off, otherwise you will be next,” attempting to intimidate not only legislators but also ordinary Taiwanese citizens, in a bid to force self-censorship and create a chilling effect.
Will China’s intimidation of “the next one is you” force Taiwanese people to self-censor? Chen Shimin, a political science professor at National Taiwan University, told Epoch Times that individuals with economic interests intertwined with China, such as Taiwanese businesspeople or artists, may be concerned about potential harm to their economic ties in mainland China, leading them to self-censor. However, he believes that the vast majority of Taiwanese people view China’s actions as a joke.
According to a survey released by Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council in August last year, over 85% of Taiwanese people do not support China’s “punitive 22 opinions on Taiwan independence” and practices like inspecting personal belongings under the implementation of the National Security Law. The majority of the people advocate maintaining the status quo and believe that Taiwan’s future should be decided by the Taiwanese people, opposing China’s coercive measures against Taiwan.
Taiwan’s investment in mainland China peaked in 2010, accounting for 83.8% of total outbound investment at that time. In May this year, Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs publicly announced that the proportion of exports to mainland China and Hong Kong has gradually declined since reaching 43.9% in 2020, dropping to 31.7% in 2024 and further decreasing to 28.3% in the first quarter of this year.
Chen Shimin noted that recent data indicates a significant shift in Taiwan’s economic relationship with China, with a substantial reduction in economic interaction. Many companies have begun diversifying their export markets to mitigate risks.
In recent years, China has frequently listed numerous Taiwan independence advocates and claimed to sanction them. However, why did Beijing CCTV deliberately collaborate with the announcement by the Chongqing Public Security Bureau to release such a video?
Wu Sezhi believes that China has been adjusting its Taiwan policy in recent years, focusing on precise united front work, targeted pressure, promotion of unification, and anti-Taiwan independence efforts. Why name specific individuals or focus on certain people? Wu Sezhi pointed out that by labeling a particular individual or Taiwan independence advocate, China hopes to precisely target those with special political stances or ideologies, thereby exerting a specific influence.
On Sunday (the 9th), former TSMC Chairman Cao Xingcheng immediately responded to the situation by stating that China will focus on Shen Boyang, acknowledging Shen Boyang’s influence as demonstrated by the 1.3 million signatures in the recall vote, representing a direct hostile stance of the Taiwanese people towards China. In recent years, Shen Boyang’s advocacy through the “Black Bear Academy” on how to “resist China and protect Taiwan” has had a significant impact, prompting China to intimidate others by targeting him.
Cao Xingcheng further stated that this act is akin to China awarding Shen Boyang an “enemy medal,” outwardly attacking him while implicitly recognizing his stance of “resist China and protect Taiwan.”
Chen Shimin believes that this cross-border suppression method is essentially a warning to others by making an example out of someone. The establishment of the “Black Bear Academy” by Shen Boyang has strengthened Taiwan’s resistance and defense capabilities. It is evident that the majority of Taiwanese people support this, which is a cause of concern and frustration for China.
(End of translation)