Taiwan Upholds Deportation of Chinese Spouse Advocating Unification

Supreme Administrative Court Finalizes Order, Citing National Security Concerns

Taipei, Taiwan – In a significant ruling impacting cross-strait relations, Taiwan's Supreme Administrative Court has finalized the deportation order against Liu Zhenya (劉振亞), a Chinese national married to a Taiwanese citizen, for advocating "military unification" with China.

The court's decision, announced on Thursday, March 28th, upholds the National Immigration Agency (NIA)'s revocation of Liu's residency permit. The NIA had previously ordered Liu to leave Taiwan by March 25th due to her content advocating for unification, posted on her Douyin account, "Yaya in Taiwan" (亞亞在台灣).

This ruling also bars Liu from reapplying for a dependent-based residency permit for five years.

The Ministry of the Interior (MOI), overseeing the NIA, determined that Liu's online posts threatened Taiwan's national security and social stability, thus violating regulations governing Chinese nationals residing in Taiwan. The Supreme Administrative Court affirmed the MOI's assessment.

"From a procedural perspective, it is difficult to claim that the legality of the [MOI's] order is manifestly in doubt," the court stated in a news release.

Liu had previously lost an appeal in a lower court on March 21st, before voluntarily leaving Taiwan on Tuesday.

The court's decision also addressed concerns regarding the impact on Liu's family, including her spouse and three children. The court concluded that the order would not cause irreparable harm to family relationships, citing modern transportation and communication possibilities.

Furthermore, the court clarified that the order did not compel Liu to leave by a specific date, only requiring her departure within 10 days.

The decision has drawn attention from academics. Lo Shih-hung (羅世宏), a professor at National Chung Cheng University's Department of Communication, criticized the deportation order and its upholding in a social media post. He questioned the application of the U.N. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in the court's decision, particularly the prohibition of "propaganda for war". Lo noted that specific provisions related to the covenant have yet to be fully enacted in Taiwan's domestic legal system, despite its incorporation in 2009.