TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan authorities have expelled a Chinese social media personality whose controversial statements about forceful reunification allegedly triggered "national security" concerns. Liu Zhenya, known online as Yaya (劉振亞), departed the island Tuesday night following the National Immigration Agency's (NIA, 移民署) decision to revoke her residency permit. The case has intensified the ongoing debate about free speech boundaries for foreign nationals residing in Taiwan, particularly those from mainland China who comment on the sensitive cross-strait relationship. Immigration officials specifically cited national security concerns as the basis for their action against the influencer.
The influencer has returned to her hometown of Fuzhou (福州) in southeastern China after Taiwanese authorities determined her social media content crossed a legal threshold. Officials alleged that Liu had repeatedly used her substantial online platform to promote and advocate for China's potential military action against Taiwan. Her commentary on cross-strait relations had attracted increasing scrutiny from Taiwan's security apparatus in recent months as tensions between Beijing and Taipei continue to simmer amid China's growing military presence around the island.
Prior to her departure, Liu publicly declared her desire to leave Taiwan with a clean administrative record, apparently hoping to preserve the possibility of future reentry. She also expressed hope that any future applications for reunification with her family would be processed according to legal procedures. The emotional separation played out at Taipei Songshan Airport (台北松山機場), where her Taiwanese husband and children accompanied her for tearful farewells. The contentious nature of the case drew both supporters and critics to the airport terminal, with pro-unification demonstrators clashing verbally with pro-independence groups. Anticipating potential confrontations, authorities deployed approximately 120 police officers to maintain order, while NIA personnel supervised Liu's departure processing.
The social media influencer had built a substantial following through her "Yaya in Taiwan" (亞亞在台灣) TikTok channel, where she documented her life as a Chinese woman married to a Taiwanese man and raising their three children — two sons and a daughter. Immigration authorities specifically cited two videos that triggered the deportation decision: one posted in May 2024 and another in January 2025, both containing statements officials considered potentially destabilizing to Taiwan's social order. Among the controversial comments that drew official scrutiny were assertions that "China does not need a reason to unify Taiwan by force" and expressions of anticipation about "waking up to Taiwan being filled with Chinese nation flags." These statements ultimately proved incompatible with Taiwan's national security requirements for foreign residents, authorities said.
