Following the deportation of TikTok influencer Liu Zhenya, known as “Yaya in Taiwan,” for repeatedly advocating Taiwan being subjected to “armed unification” by Communist China, two other influencers, “Xiaowei” and “Enqi,” also had their residency permits revoked and were ordered to leave Taiwan for similar reasons. Rather than garnering sympathy, their expulsion was met with widespread mockery from mainland Chinese netizens.
The three women are “mainland spouses,” that is, nationals of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) who married Taiwanese citizens. The PRC claims Taiwan as a part of its territory, but the island is functionally independent.
The deportation of Liu Zhenya
Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA) reported that Liu Zhenya, using her online alias “Yaya in Taiwan,” had previously posted statements such as “Why hasn’t China launched armed reunification yet?” In response, the Taiwan National Immigration Agency (NIA) revoked her dependent residency permit, banned her from reapplying for five years, and issued a notice on March 15 ordering her to leave Taiwan within ten days, by March 25.
Liu has strongly protested the government’s action against her, calling it a violation of her free speech and saying that her deportation would take a heavy toll on her family. On March 20, she filed an appeal with the Ministry of the Interior and an administrative court to halt her deportation. However, the Taipei High Administrative Court rejected her appeal on March 22.
The Taipei court ruled that Liu had indeed engaged in propaganda advocating military annexation of Taiwan by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and thus saw no justification for suspending the order. In the evening of March 24, her deportation was carried out, with Liu escorted to Taipei’s Songshan airport and made to board a flight to Fuzhou, China.
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According to a report by Taiwan’s Liberty Times, following Liu Zhenya’s case, the NIA also summoned Xiaowei and Enqi for questioning regarding their frequent online posts promoting the CCP’s “armed unification.”
On March 21, the NIA revoked their residency permits, imposed a five-year ban on reapplying for dependent residency, and ordered them to leave Taiwan within a set period. Failure to comply would result in forced deportation.
Combatting CCP influence
Xiaowei and Enqi, who had amassed a following on TikTok, frequently posted videos featuring lines such as “The streets of Taiwan will be filled with the five-star red flags” of Communist China; “The PLA’s military drills showcase its strong military power and unwavering commitment to national sovereignty,” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China.”
These statements were seen as advocating the destruction of Taiwan’s sovereignty and promoting military aggression.
Taiwan, an island home to 23 million people that lies off the southeastern Chinese coast, is officially governed as the Republic of China (ROC), which was exiled from the mainland in 1949 following the communist takeover there.
Beijing has long issued rhetoric advocating the “reunification” of Taiwan with the PRC, despite the fact that the communist regime has never governed Taiwan. Though cross-strait relations experienced a temporary thaw in the 1980s and the two sides now have deep economic ties, the CCP has frequently sent aerial and naval sorties to harass Taiwan and probe the ROC’s defenses, while practicing for a possible invasion or military blockade of the island.
The Taiwan government has recently stepped up efforts to combat Beijing’s influence operations, with ROC President Lai Ching-te on March 13 warning that “China, by its actions, already consistutes a hostile foreign force” bent on destroying Taiwan’s statehood and autonomy.
A video from March 24 showed Xiaowei and Enqi livestreaming together, comforting each other online. Xiaowei exclaimed, “I was expelled from Taiwan for loving my country — I’m happy! A sacrifice for patriotism is worth it! Just do it, just do it!” Both stated that they would fly back to mainland China together and continue livestreaming upon their return.
Meanwhile, many mainland Chinese netizens ridiculed the three pro-CCP influencers instead of showing support.
A popular video from March 23 shows a Chinese woman criticizing the deported mainland spouses, saying they were merely chasing online clout for profit: “This is just fueling division — it does nothing to bring both sides [Taiwanese and mainland Chinese] closer.” A male netizen questioned why they even married Taiwanese men if they disliked Taiwan so much.
Another mocked Liu’s protests, saying, “You shout about patriotism every day, but when you’re actually sent back to China, you don’t want to go. Are you just all talk?”
One Chinese man sarcastically remarked that “Yaya” seemed to appreciate life in China, so she shouldn’t feel unhappy about returning. “The economy here grows at 6 percent annually, food safety rates are officially reported as over 99 percent, and everything is great. Yaya, come back and help build China! Bring your husband and family, let’s all enjoy the same lifestyle together.”
On Douyin, the mainland Chinese version of TikTok, netizens continued their mockery:
“With one hand, she holds a Taiwanese rice bowl, but with the other, she tries to smash it.”
“Let her return to the mainland — she should bring her kids too. She’s completed her mission well.”
“I don’t believe she’ll cry about this. Wasn’t this exactly what she wanted — returning to the embrace of the motherland? She should be thrilled!”
On X (formerly Twitter), Chinese-language comments also lambasted Liu and other pro-CCP influencers, while warning that their loyalty to the Party could eventually cost them.
“Being an influencer in China usually ends with getting crushed by the system. Clout-chasing is a double-edged sword, especially when profiting off nationalism — it can turn against you at any moment.”
“Maybe they were part of an organized effort.”
“One day, the CCP’s iron fist might hit them, and then they’ll understand what real pain feels like.”
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