According to Focus Taiwan, Taiwanese stand-up comedian and xiangsheng performer Huang Yi-hao was allegedly targeted in a transnational repression plot linked by Taiwanese authorities to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). After he performed material satirizing CCP leader Xi Jinping, suspects allegedly staged a “car accident” in which a vehicle rammed into him, seeking to seriously injure him and prevent him from performing.
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said the government was drafting legal amendments to address loopholes and counter transnational repression. It expressed hope that lawmakers across party lines would support the proposals once they were introduced.
Mainland Affairs Council calls for cross-party support
According to the Central News Agency (CNA), the MAC held its regular press conference on the afternoon of Oct. 22, chaired by Vice Chairman and spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh.
Liang said Huang had not initially suspected that the traffic accident he experienced on Sept. 11 was an act of violence linked to the CCP. Following the establishment of a government platform to counter transnational repression, public awareness increased. Officers assigned to the transnational repression task force at Taiwan’s National Police Agency became alert after seeing Huang’s social media post and launched an investigation. They ultimately determined that the incident was not an ordinary traffic accident.
Liang said, “Existing laws do not comprehensively address transnational repression. The government is considering amendments to the Anti-Infiltration Act and related regulations. We hope that when the Executive Yuan submits its proposed amendments, legislators from all political parties will support them and help close the legal loopholes.” He added that previously proposed amendments to the National Security Act should also be discussed, saying lawmakers should not refuse to “even review” the proposals.
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Former Taipei City Councilor Chiu Wei-chieh, also known as Gua Ji, wrote on social media that internet personality Chen Chih-han, known as the Gym Coach, had said in 2020 that he would make an offensive gesture toward Peng Liyuan, the wife of CCP leader Xi Jinping. Chen was shot that same year. Chiu asked, “Is it possible that the Gym Coach was actually the first victim of transnational repression?”
Liang said the speculation was not entirely unreasonable. At the time, public awareness of transnational repression was limited, and he believed the investigation probably had not explored that possibility. He said the case should have been closed, but new evidence could still be submitted if any emerged. As the MAC is not a judicial body, he declined to comment further. No evidence tying Chen’s shooting to the CCP was presented.
According to CNA, on Oct. 21, the New Taipei District Prosecutors Office concluded its investigation into the staged car collision that injured Huang and indicted five Taiwanese suspects on charges including attempted aggravated bodily harm and violations of the Personal Data Protection Act.
In a press release, prosecutors said the five defendants allegedly acted on instructions from, and received funding from, an individual from mainland China known by the nickname “K.” Reporters asked how the MAC had established a connection between K and the CCP, given that the council had classified the case as transnational repression.
Liang responded that, in espionage cases and investigations into organizations allegedly established in Taiwan with CCP assistance, Chinese individuals further up the chain of command are often identified by aliases, and their job titles may be fabricated. “These people do not use their real names, nor do they openly disclose which organization they represent,” he said. Prosecutors said K’s background remained under investigation.
According to the Central News Agency (CNA), investigators said a mainland Chinese individual known as “K” offered NT$450,000 to have comedian Huang Yi-hao seriously injured in retaliation for his criticism of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). K allegedly paid NT$250,000 upfront to a man surnamed Cheng, who organized the attack. Cheng and his accomplices tracked Huang’s movements using a GPS device attached to his scooter. On Sept. 11, 2026, one of the suspects deliberately drove a car into Huang but stopped when he heard him scream. Huang suffered a pelvic injury, but not the serious injuries the attackers allegedly intended. Prosecutors therefore charged five suspects with attempted aggravated bodily harm. According to investigators, K refused to pay the remaining NT$200,000 because Huang’s injuries were not severe enough.
Police uncovered the alleged plot after following up on threats Huang had previously received and tracing the flow of funds. On Oct. 22, a court ordered four suspects, including Cheng, detained and held incommunicado. A fifth suspect, a man surnamed Liao, was released on NT$100,000 bail and placed under electronic monitoring. Prosecutors sought prison sentences ranging from two years and seven months to more than five years.
Following the incident, Huang said that although he was frightened, he would not be silenced. He also called for legislation to counter transnational repression.
Cho Jung-tai calls for special protection for election candidates
In response to a series of suspected transnational repression cases, Premier Cho Jung-tai said on Oct. 22 that several recent incidents appeared to be linked to support for democratic expression, criticism of authoritarian rule, and efforts to counter cognitive warfare.
“I have therefore instructed the police and prosecutors to gain a thorough understanding of the movements of unidentified or suspicious individuals arriving in Taiwan from overseas, strengthen intelligence gathering, and prevent public security incidents,” Cho said, according to a summary of his remarks given by Executive Yuan spokesperson Lee Hui-chih.
With Taiwan’s local elections just over a month away, Cho instructed police and prosecutors to provide special security protection for all candidates and related individuals to help prevent serious incidents.
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