Taipei: The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) in Taiwan has announced that it will incorporate the examination of social media content into the review process for entry applications from Chinese nationals. This new measure, disclosed by a senior official, is aimed at identifying any derogatory remarks about Taiwan made by applicants seeking short-term exchanges.

According to Focus Taiwan, MAC deputy head Liang Wen-chieh confirmed during a legislative meeting that the agency, responsible for managing cross-Taiwan Strait relations, is scrutinizing the social media history of Chinese nationals as part of their application assessment. The initiative is particularly focused on detecting any content that might undermine Taiwan, although Liang did not provide specific examples of such remarks.

Liang also clarified that the current screening process does not apply to Chinese students. This announcement was made in response to Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker Wang Yi-chuan’s call for increased restrictions on Chinese nationals to counter “United Front” activities in Taiwan. Wang highlighted that the United States has a similar policy, screening visa applicants’ social media for national security purposes.

Meanwhile, DPP lawmaker Chuang Jui-hsiung expressed concerns over the potential suppression of free speech. Chuang emphasized the need for “very strict standards and very clear laws” to avoid punishing individuals solely based on their political views. He urged justice and judicial authorities to establish “clear legal provisions” to address war propaganda, warning that unclear legal boundaries could lead to controversy and a “chilling effect” on society.

The discussion comes in the wake of Taiwan’s National Immigration Agency expelling three Chinese spouses last month. The expulsion was based on their social media remarks advocating for China’s “unification with Taiwan through military force.”