He Attended a Taiwan Rally. Now China Is Turning Against Him.

Kevin Tsai is leaving mainland China for good. He deleted his mainland agent contacts and wiped his Weibo account, which had over 36 million followers. Once a popular life coach, he is now branded a two-faced person by the Taiwan Affairs Office. After 30 years of fame, this host exited the mainland market in just 10 days. And what pushed him into the eye of the storm is the Puma-Shen current storm currently sweeping through Taiwan. The current is magnificent and keeps hit new highs. At a motorcade meet-and-greet, over 2,000 motorcycles followed behind, and the livestream attracted more than 60,000 concurrent viewers. But just when everyone thought Taipei was really about to see a change, the DPP itself suddenly threw a bucket of cold water on it. If the vote were held today, Puma Shen would still lose to Chiang Wan-an. Can this current really change Taipei's political landscape? And how would Beijing ordering an intervention affect the election? Let's start with Kevin Tsai. On the afternoon of October 4th, at the launch rally for Puma Shen's campaign headquarters, amidst a sea of 120,000 people, the livestream camera swept over a familiar profile. He was wearing a straw hat, a black mask, and an orange shirt, the exact same color as the main visual for Puma Shen's campaign. At first, he didn't even have a seat and was just sitting quietly on the ground. Later on, staff members helped him find a chair, and he held a support balloon printed with Taipei Shen Chi Lai, waving it along with the atmosphere. This person was Kevin Tsai. Once you get to Linzhen North and South Road, then head towards Tianjin Street. When the event ended, reporters cornered him. Are you here to show support, Brother Kang? Uh, I want to listen to opinions from all sides. The supporting side's opinions. Does that mean you wouldn't rule out attending Chang Wen An's event as well? Huh. Well, if there's an opportunity, it'd be great to interview every candidate. That night, Kevin Tsai's appearance at a pro-independence campaign event trended on Weibo. Overnight, comment sections on Douyin and Xiaohongshu were flooded with backlash. At 11.44pm, take note, this was only a few hours after the event had ended. The mainland electric vehicle brand Leap Motor issued a statement overnight, emphasizing that Kevin Tsai is not their spokesperson, and all promotional content was taken down. Ironically, just a month ago, Leap Motor named Kevin Tsai their brand friend. The next day, things escalated. Beijing Time, a state media outlet, mocked Tsai's coming-to-see-and-learn remark, asking, Taipei has held eight mayoral elections, having lived there for decades. Have you never seen a campaign? Finally, they called on all companies collaborating with him to conduct self-inspections. Military media stepped in as Xi Jinping, under the PLA Daily, warned that those profiting from the mainland while flirting with Taiwan independence will pay an unbearable price. By the 9th, state media escalated the situation further. Shakadao, from People's Daily, stated there's no room for deception on principles. It criticized him for failing to denounce Taiwan independence, mention One China, or declare Taiwan part of China. It compared him to Nicky Wu, who celebrated October 1st at Tiananmen. The message? Copy this standard. In four days, Kevin Tsai's mainland commercial value collapsed. Taiwanese media estimates that the losses from just one brand endorsement and the resulting contract dispute could reach 40 million New Taiwan dollars. You have to realize, the mainland was once an absolute goldmine for Kevin Tsai. Back when he hosted Keep A Chua in the mainland, it was rumored that he could rake in 750 million New Taiwan dollars a year. Facing such huge financial stakes, most celebrities would have rushed to issue an apology statement by now, right? Well, he didn't. No apology, no clarification. This attitude of choosing to lose a golden rice bowl rather than bow his head, KMT chairperson Eric Chu won for one, just doesn't get it. She said on her show, is he really just going to walk away from such massive commercial interests? Business partners, netizens, and state media took turns attacking him for days, but that was just the appetizer. It wasn't until yesterday, at the October 14th regular press conference of the Taiwan Affairs office that spokesperson Chen Bin-hua was asked about Kevin Tsai and labeled him a two-faced person. No person or force can profit from the dividends of mainland development while simultaneously colluding with Taiwan independence separatist forces and acting as a two-faced person. In the CCP's discourse system, this term two-faced person is one of the most commonly used phrases when the Discipline Inspection Commission announces the downfall of officials. So we all know what that means. On the same day, it was discovered that Kevin Tsai had deleted the contact emails for his two mainland agents. Previously, clips from his 1001 Nights radio interviews in collaboration with Xiao Hongshu and so on were all deleted. As of today, although Kevin Tsai himself hasn't said a single word about this, the action itself is effectively a statement. I don't plan on taking any more jobs in the mainland from now on. This is the most direct response to the CCP calling him a two-faced person. You think I care about your mainland money? hell want it anymore. Do you think that's his attitude? If you agree with what I've said, and also admire his backbone, then please go ahead and hit the like button below. However, this makes one wonder, was this attitude of Kevin Tsai's forced out by Beijing, or has this actually been his stance all along, just hidden for decades? To answer this question, we have to look back and examine the background of Kevin Tsai's family. He was born in Taipei in 1962, but the family imprint on him goes back to the days of old Shanghai. His father, Tsai Tien-to, graduated from the law department of Fudan University and was a well-known lawyer in Shanghai. Back in those days, it's said that his family owned seven private cars. His father, Tsai Tien-to, had co-founded a company called the Cheng Lian Steamship Company with some friends, and they owned a regular passenger ship that ran between Shanghai and Keelung, Taiwan, called the Taiping. On January 27th, 1949, the eve of the Lunar New Year, the Huaihai campaign had just concluded, and the outcome of the Pingjin campaign was also essentially decided. With the war situation in turmoil and rapidly deteriorating, the Huangpu wharf in Shanghai was packed with people desperate to flee to Taiwan. The Taiping steamer was severely overloaded that night. To avoid wartime maritime restrictions, the Taiping turned off all its navigation lights and sped through the pitch black sea. As a result, in the middle of the night near the Zhoushan Islands, it collided head-on with a cargo ship fully loaded with coal. Nearly 1,000 people sank into the icy waters, and in the end, only about 30 people were rescued. Afterward, in order to compensate the families of the victims, the Tsai family exhausted almost all their wealth before eventually moving to Taiwan. So what Kevin Tsai carries with him is the family memory of his father's generation fleeing the mainland in 1949. Later he went to the United States to study for a master's degree in film, and then returned to Taiwan to write screenplays and edit magazines. In 2004, he began hosting Kangxi Coming with Dee Hu, a show they did for 12 years, becoming incredibly popular across both sides of the strait. Later he moved north to the mainland to host I Can I Be and published books on the art of conversation, becoming a life mentor for young people in the mainland. For such a celebrity host who's popular on both sides of the strait, what exactly is his political stance? Although this has always been a topic of much discussion, to be honest, before this October, almost no one could say for sure. Taiwanese media once thought he leaned blue, but if you lay out everything he's said over the years and examine it carefully, you'll find a clear, visible thread. At the 50th Golden Horse Awards in 2013, Kevin Tsai was the host. When mainland actor Huang Bo came on stage to present an award, he was teased, you know, for dressing like he was in pajamas. Huang Bo said it was because he felt like he was back home. This witty response drew laughter from the entire audience, but Kevin Tsai gently took a dig from the side, saying, This is my home, not yours. Huang Bo immediately retorted, You're not hosting at home alone, either. I also see a horse. It's my first time seeing a horse riding a person. This was because when Kevin Tsai walked the red carpet that day, he had a large horse about the height of a person, attached to his back. At the time, no one took this comment seriously. However, 13 years later, this segment was dug up verbatim by mainland state media, becoming evidence that Kevin Tsai had long harbored pro-Taiwan independence sentiments. Tonight, you are wearing pajamas, right? Andy Lau and Jackie Chan are dressed very formally. Right! Guests should dress up. Since you've been gone five years and I've been at the Golden Horse Awards, I've made this place feel like home. What do you wear when you come home, right? Just comfortably when you get home. Kevin, sigh. This is my home, not your home. Actually, I just saw that you weren't fighting alone. There was a horse with you just now. Right, right, right. Ah, it's been so long. I've only ever seen people ride horses, never a horse riding a person. The second clue is an instinctive reaction of his on Kung Si Lai. At the time, Jackie Chan was on the show and said that when he was taking a taxi in the US, the driver yelled at him, Go back to China! At that moment, Kevin Tsai immediately replied in English, I'm from Taiwan. Why should I go back to China? I'm from Taiwan. Why should I go back to China? He was driving and when he passed by, he rolled down the window and was like, Go back to China. That's so out of line. I'm from Taiwan. Why should I go back to China? You could call this statement a political stance, but it's actually a variety show gag. If you say it's just a gag, that knee-jerk reaction was so authentic, it felt like his instinct. The third clue is the 2014 Sunflower Student Movement. At that time, the two sides of the Strait were preparing to sign a cross-Strait service trade agreement, and this agreement concerned the opening up of dozens of industries in Taiwan. It was originally promised that it would be reviewed item by item, but in the chaos, the KMT quickly read through the statement in 30 seconds, and then immediately announced, hey, the agreement review's complete. Many Taiwanese people considered this a black box operation and were absolutely furious. Students stormed the Legislative Yuan and hundreds of thousands of people gathered on the streets in support. At the time, faced with this massive social movement, many celebrities tried their best to steer clear of it. But Kevin Tsai posted a statement saying that whoever touches the black box puts on the One Ring. Those who have seen The Lord of the Rings know that the One Ring is the ring of supreme power that tempts the heart and causes one to lose their mind. He didn't name names, nor did he indicate any political party, but his stance was very clear. No matter how noble the banner under which one acts, one must not undermine the procedural justice of democracy. And this time, before attending Enoch Wu's campaign rally, he replied to a netizen online, saying, if we don't defend them, they will turn to dust. He didn't specify what they referred to, but Taiwanese netizens all understood. It meant democracy and freedom. A few hours later, Kevin Tsai, wearing a mask, sat in the audience at Enoch Wu's event. So, looking at these clues, Kevin Tsai has always been an artist who cherishes Taiwan's democracy and distinguishes between the mainland and Taiwan. Now, some friends might be thinking, are you only cherry-picking one side of his words? He's been making money in the mainland for so many years, how could he not try to play both sides? How could he have never said things that the CCP likes to hear? Hey, I was also worried that I was only seeing one side and had that kind of limitation, so I specifically went and looked into it. It turns out that Kevin Tsai really hasn't said things like the two sides of the Strait are one family, or Taiwan is a part of China. When Pelosi visited Taiwan in 2022, many Taiwanese celebrities reposted there is only one China at the time. Among them were Nicky Wu, Ouyang Nana, and Cindy Wang. but Kevin Tsai was not among them. Chieh Dao's criticism of him this time is precisely about this point, saying that he doesn't mention one China. Kevin Tsai has never mentioned it. Kevin Tsai's stance hasn't wavered. He's always championed Taiwan's democracy and freedom. He didn't seek a mainland career initially, only moving after being recruited for Chi Pei Shuo in 2014. Throughout his mainland work, he's never compromised his principles for business. As an artist, he certainly knows about the sensitive topics between the two sides of the strait. He just hides his stance within his jokes, hiding it just right, just enough for the mainland to pretend not to see it. What do you think? Do you agree with what I said? What's your take on Kevin Tsai? Let me know in the comments section. Kevin Tsai's stance and Beijing's reaction, for one thing, show that under the increasingly tense cross-strait relations, the room for ambiguity that Taiwanese artists once had has been greatly compressed. Taiwanese artists who once wanted to please both sides or simply maintain the stance of an observer will all have to face a choice between the two step by step. Another important reason is the ocean current that Puma Shen has stirred up right now. Kevin Tsai is an entertainer, but more importantly, he is first and foremost a citizen of Taipei. The familiarity with municipal affairs, problem-solving skills, and communication abilities that Puma Shen displayed during election campaign were truly impressive. As for Kevin Tsai, he was clearly drawn in by this ocean current, which is why he attended his campaign headquarters launch event. So, in the process of getting to know Puma Shen, would he come to understand the background of Puma Shen's previous research on the CCP's cognitive warfare against Taiwan? Would he, like many Taiwanese citizens, come to appreciate him? This is highly likely. For example, the well-known Taiwanese media mogul, Zhao Shaokong, who is also known as the leader of the Fighting Blue faction, recently interviewed Puma Shen for the second time, and it was clear that the tense, confrontational atmosphere of the first interview was gone. The key point is that after it ended, Zhao Shaokong specifically requested a photo with Puma Shen, and even proactively reached out his hand to shake hands for the picture. In this photo, one can really sense that feeling of an elder appreciating a talented younger person, a sense of heroes cherishing heroes. So if someone as deep blue as Joshua Kong can be moved, why wouldn't Kevin Tsai be? You know, in Taiwan, many candidates' policy platforms are actually written by staff who hire experts, and the candidates themselves might not even be able to explain them clearly, which is why you often see campaign promises that end up being broken. However, what is most surprising about Shen Poyang's campaign is his level of familiarity with the details of municipal administration. On August 11th, he unveiled his five major policy platforms, and former Taipei City Department of Urban Development Commissioner Lin Chaomin was in attendance. The Department of Urban Development is equivalent to the Urban Planning Bureau in mainland China. Lin Chaomin himself is also an architect, and regarding the vision and plans Shen Poyang presented at the time, he gave three words on the spot. On point, complete, and feasible. So you see, with Shen Poyang able to garner such repeated praise from professionals, how could he not win over the hearts of the general public? A Mr. Chen from Taipei said that four years ago, he voted for Chang Wan'an because he thought Chang was a top student, but now he realizes that the real top student is Shen Poyang. There was also a voter from the Da'an district on section 2 of Renai Road in Taipei who left us a message saying that he is deep blue, but this time he is going to support Shen Poyang because Chang Wan An's ability is just far inferior to Shen Po Yang's. He's just such a likable candidate, convincing Taipei residents with his municipal governance while also remaining firm and unyielding in his stance against the CCP. He is neither aggressive nor extreme, and his influence on Taiwanese society is subtle and gradual. Think about it, an ordinary citizen might only care about their home's water pipes or their child's school route. But they soon realized the person explaining those pipes most clearly is the one Beijing wants to silence. Why? Because his views on the CCP then become a topic of widespread discussion. At the Taiwan Affairs Office press conference on the 14th, Shen Poyang was named once again. The actions of the diehard Taiwan independence element Shen Poyang are known to everyone. Any form of Taiwan independence separatist activity is a serious infringement on the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation, and we firmly oppose it. We have always respected and protected the legitimate freedom of speech and expression of our Taiwan compatriots. Before this day, Hong Kong's Ta Kung Pao and Wen Wei Po published reports accusing the company owned by Shen Poyang's father of changing its shell to something called V-Wei Company after being sanctioned last year, and continuing to do business with the mainland. The day after the report, the Taiwan Affairs Office sanctioned V-Wei. cutting all mainland trade. They questioned how Shen Poyang could stir anti-China sentiment while profiting from the mainland through relatives, demanding he prove his innocence and explain his actions to Taiwan. In our last episode, we covered the four rounds of confrontation between Shen Poyang and Beijing. The tactic this time is identical to last year's. Hong Kong media reports first, then the Taiwan Affairs Office sanctions. It's the same hand passing the knife and striking. Shen Boyang didn't bother responding, dismissing it as rehashed news he's already clarified. His family does business in Ecuador. They are Taiwanese business people in South America. He also mocked the Taiwan Affairs Office, saying, one minute you call me a diehard Taiwan independent separatist, the next you say you want to put out a warrant for me, then you send people to Taiwan to stalk me, and now you're talking about my father's trade business. Shouldn't you all get your stories straight first? He sincerely suggests that the Taiwan Affairs Office should come up with a new topic. Then, as a cognitive expert, he asked where this information came from, how it made its way into Taiwan, and why it appeared at this particular time. Shen Boyang's father is a Taiwanese businessman in Ecuador. He isn't selling goods to China to make Chinese money. Instead, he buys goods from China and ships them overseas to sell. It's just international trade. Strictly speaking, this isn't earning red money. It's actually Shen's dad helping to boost China's economy, don't you think? Furthermore, Shen Boyang stated that his father hasn't been to China since 2019. As we mentioned in our last episode, the more Beijing tries to interfere in the election, the more it angers the Taiwanese people, which in turn boosts Shen Boyang. And the data actually confirms this. According to a poll conducted by the Formosa electronic newspaper from late September to early October, the favorability rating of the Chinese Communist Party among Taiwanese people has dropped to just 4.6%, hitting its lowest record since 2015, while the disapproval rating is as high as 80.1%. Even among those respondents who favor the Kuomintang, only about 10% also favor the CCP. But having said that, does this current wave mean that Taipei is on the verge of a turnaround? What follows might come as a cold shower to many supporters of this wave. On the 13th, Ruan Junda, the director of the DPP's new media center, released an analysis. Logically, with their own candidate's momentum so strong, he should have been sharing good news. But instead, he shared concerns. He said that in the week from the 11th to the 15th, Shen Boyang's total online buzz surged to over 2.32 million mentions, while Chiang Wan-an had only a little over half that, at over 1.6 million. However, Shen Boyang is still trailing Chiang Wan-an in all-known polls. In other words, there's a lot of thunder, but not enough rain. Let's take a look at a few public polls. According to the latest survey released by TVBS on October 8th, Chiang Wan-an's support rate is 49%, while Shen Boyang has caught up to 41%. Back in May, the numbers were 58% to 30%, a gap of 28 percentage points. This means that in four months, Shen Boyang has made up 20 points. And among young people aged 20 to 29, Shen Boyang has already overtaken him. An earlier poll from September 22nd, conducted by polling expert Tai Lian, showed that the gap between the two was only 1.2 percentage points, which is already within the margin of error. Regarding this result, Shen Boyang admitted himself that falling behind is falling behind, saying I have always been a challenger. Some friends might ask, why would the DPP pour cold water on the ocean current movement at this time? Shouldn't they be trying to build up as much momentum as possible? Here, I need to share a bit of common knowledge about Taiwan's elections with you all. Taiwanese polls are divided into two types. One is public, like the TVBS and Dalian polls we just mentioned, which are published in the news and accessible to everyone. The other type is the internal polling that political parties pay to have conducted themselves, which in Taiwan is called internal reference. These are done in much greater detail, with more precise sampling, and provide a clearer picture of the actual election situation. The DPP definitely has a bunch of internal polls on hand. The fact that they dare to openly admit that Shen Boyang is still trailing likely means that after thoroughly analyzing all the various polls, the calculated result remains the same. Shen Boyang is still going to lose. So now that the campaign hasn't reached its final white-hot stage yet, they are speaking out loudly to remind supporters not to let their guard down and not to assume that just because things are lively online, it means the election is a guaranteed win. As for Wan Chuan-tang, he also pointed out a few concerns. First, the negative mudslinging campaign against Shen Po-Yang is heating up. The Blue Camp is now starting to use negative attack tactics, digging up all of Shen Po-Yang's past academic discussions regarding the abolition of the death penalty and the decriminalization of drugs. They've even dug up his elementary school communication book. Over the past few weeks, the negative sentiment volume against Shen Boyang has surged by 10%. The second point is that Blue Camp supporters, along with the die-hard fans of former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je, may seem low in morale and quiet online, but that doesn't mean they won't turn out to vote. In groups on platforms like Line and Facebook, a flood of messages attacking Chen Po-yang is still circulating. And the third point is to stay vigilant against foreign manipulation. So whether this ocean current will ultimately surge into the Taipei city government remains to be seen, with just over 40 days left until the votes are counted on November 28th. Beneath the surface of this ocean current, which is generating massive buzz in the election, there are actually turbulent undercurrents, and the outcome is still far from clear. However, as the election draws near, I believe that the people of Taiwan will become increasingly clear about their preferred mayoral candidate, and they will certainly elect the best and most suitable mayor for them. On this point, I still have quite a bit of confidence in the people of Taipei. The week after next is the inauguration ceremony for Chen Po-yang's campaign headquarters, and Kevin Tsai has officially confirmed he will attend, and he will wear a black suit to show his respect. Subscribe to True Viewpoint, and let's follow this highly anticipated election together! Alright, that's all for today. Thank you all for watching! If you enjoy my show and would like to share this episode with more friends who aren't familiar with Chen Po-yang, or who are following Taiwan's 9-in-1 elections, please go ahead and share it with them! Don't forget to hit that like button, and if you're new here, welcome! subscribe thanks for watching everyone we'll wrap it up here for today and don't forget we'll be back at the same time this Saturday on true viewpoint see you then bye