Taipei [Taiwan], October 24 : China is allegedly stepping up efforts to intimidate relatives of Taiwanese politicians it considers supporters of independence, raising concerns about possible interference in Taiwan’s upcoming elections, according to a report by the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) and the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), as reported by The Taipei Times.
The report suggested that Beijing may be using pressure against family members to discourage politicians and activists from engaging in activities associated with Taiwanese independence. As reported by The Taipei Times, one recent example involves sanctions against VWAY, a company owned by Shen Tu-cheng, the father of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator and Taipei mayoral candidate Puma Shen.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office announced restrictions barring the company from conducting business with Chinese organisations, enterprises and individuals, the Taipei Times reported.
Puma Shen was included in Beijing’s list of around a dozen people designated as “diehard separatists” in October 2024. According to the report, those named could face severe punishment, including the death penalty, under Beijing’s interpretation of its Anti-Secession Law.
The report also highlighted other alleged cases of pressure on relatives of Taiwanese public figures. Robert Tsao, founder of United Microelectronics Corp, reportedly has a brother who was denied entry into China earlier this month. In another instance, the nephew of Taiwan’s Interior Minister Liu Shyh-fang allegedly lost his job in China in April.
Separately, a woman was arrested in California earlier this month over allegations that she spied on President William Lai’s son on behalf of Beijing, The Taipei Times reported.
Lai, Shen and Liu are members of the DPP, which maintains that Taiwan and the People’s Republic of China are separate countries.
With the Taipei mayoral election approaching, the report suggested that Beijing’s actions could be aimed at undermining Shen’s electoral prospects. Earlier polling showed him trailing incumbent Kuomintang (KMT) Mayor Chiang Wan-an by 1.2 percentage points, while subsequent surveys reportedly placed Shen 17 points ahead.
Chinese military-affiliated media account Jun Zhengping and the Taiwan Affairs Office also criticised television host Kevin Tsai for attending Shen’s campaign event.
The ISW warned that even unsuccessful intimidation efforts could discourage public figures from associating with Shen, potentially restricting political debate and influencing Taiwan’s electoral environment.