Taiwan Court Sentences Former TPP Official to 7 Years Over Election Interference

On Aug. 11, a Taiwan court sentenced a former Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) official who moved to the democratically-governed island from mainland China after marrying a Taiwanese citizen. The court sentenced Xu Chunying (徐春鶯) to seven years in prison after ruling that she acted under instructions from Chinese authorities to support certain political candidates and interfere in Taiwan’s elections.

According to the Taipei Times, Xu previously headed the TPP’s New Immigrants Committee and was convicted by the New Taipei District Court of offenses listed under Taiwan’s “Anti-Infiltration Act and Banking Act,” along with fraud and facilitating the illegal entry of Chinese nationals to Taiwan.

Taiwanese authorities are also moving to revoke Xu’s settlement or permanent residency status, Interior Minister Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said on Aug. 12. “Currently, the paperwork is being processed. Because Taiwan is a country governed by the rule of law, we have to wait for the contents of the formal written judgment,” Liu said.

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Under regulations governing Chinese nationals residing in Taiwan, authorities may revoke or deny residency or settlement when an individual is considered a potential threat to national security or social stability. When asked whether Xu would have to serve her sentence in Taiwan if the conviction ultimately becomes final, Liu said, “That is indeed correct, because she committed the crime in Taiwan.”

Court finds Xu acted on behalf of Beijing

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According to the New Taipei District Court, Xu entered Taiwan in 1998 and subsequently obtained a Taiwanese identification card. She later became active in organizations representing Chinese spouses and new immigrants. Prosecutors accused Xu and Chung Chin-ming (鍾錦明), head of another cross-Strait marriage organization, of repeatedly traveling to China under the guise of providing services and assistance to Chinese spouses in Taiwan.

The court found that the pair later acted under instructions from Chinese authorities to mobilize support for specific Taiwanese political candidates, including Huang Shan-shan (黃珊珊) during the Taipei mayoral election and Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) during the presidential election. They also allegedly provided Chinese contacts with information about Taiwan’s elections and other key political developments.

The court sharply criticized their conduct, saying Xu and Chung had benefited from Taiwan’s democratic system, rule of law, social stability, and human-rights protections while using their influence among Chinese spouses to intervene in elections on behalf of what Taiwan legally defines as a “foreign hostile force.” Their actions, the court said, “seriously undermined Taiwan’s constitutional order and endangered Taiwan’s national sovereignty.”

Residency status could be revoked

Xu’s legal status in Taiwan could now become another consequence of the conviction. Liu cited Taiwan’s Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area, along with related immigration regulations that allow authorities to revoke the settlement status of Chinese nationals deemed a threat to national security or social stability.

An official familiar with the matter told the Liberty Times that Taiwan’s National Immigration Agency had already reviewed Xu’s case and was awaiting approval from the interior minister. The official said Xu would be required to serve her sentence in Taiwan before being deported. Separately, Interior Minister Liu Shyh-fang confirmed that the paperwork to revoke Xu’s residency status was being processed and that, if her conviction becomes final, she must serve her sentence in Taiwan.

Xu’s case comes as Taiwan faces an uptick in Chinese political and intelligence operations targeting the self-governed island. In another case, Chinese-born Zhou Manzhi (周滿芝), who obtained Taiwanese identification after marrying and moving to Taiwan, was sentenced to eight years in prison for developing an organization in Taiwan on behalf of China.

An appellate court found that Zhou used organizations serving Chinese spouses and new immigrants to recruit and cultivate contacts, conduct it deemed a substantive threat to Taiwan’s national security and democratic constitutional order. Taiwan’s Supreme Court subsequently rejected her appeal, making the sentence final.