TAOYUAN (TVBS News) — The Chinese student delegation invited by the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation (馬英九基金會) concluded its nine-day visit on Thursday (Dec. 5), as fans eagerly awaited the arrival of Chinese Olympic gold medalist Ma Long (馬龍). Tensions flared at Taoyuan International Airport (桃園國際機場), where some protesters displayed banners opposing China's alleged influence.
The controversy deepened earlier in the week when Song Siyao (宋思瑤), a student from Fudan University (復旦大學), referred to Taiwan's baseball team as "China Taipei" following their victory in the WBSC Premier12 tournament. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC, 陸委會) considered imposing administrative penalties that could prevent the foundation from inviting Chinese delegations for five years.
Speaking to the media at the airport, the foundation's director, Hsiao Hsu-tsen (蕭旭岑), revealed that Song felt immense pressure and cried over the incident. He urged the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP, 民進黨) to stop bullying the 20-year-old student. Hsiao warned that a five-year restriction could have a chilling effect on cross-strait exchanges, impacting not only the foundation but also other organizations. He appealed to the DPP to avoid using a martial law mentality to hinder these interactions.
