Taipei, July 9 (ANI): Taiwan has strongly criticized China for allegedly glorifying the assault on Taipei-based Japanese political commentator Akio Yaita as an act of 'righteous indignation,' according to the Taipei Times. The incident has heightened cross-strait tensions, with Taiwanese authorities suspecting possible transnational repression linked to China's newly implemented Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law.
Attack on Japanese Commentator
Akio Yaita, CEO of the Taiwan-based Indo-Pacific Strategy Think Tank, was punched in the face by a Chinese man surnamed Liao in Taichung on Monday. Police arrested Liao later that afternoon at Taichung International Airport as he was allegedly preparing to board a flight to Busan, South Korea. The assault has raised concerns about the safety of foreign nationals in Taiwan.
Taiwan's Condemnation
In a statement issued Wednesday, Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) condemned Beijing for failing to denounce the attack and instead portraying it as an act driven by 'righteous indignation.' The MAC stated that the remarks by Chinese authorities either amounted to 'a blatant lie' or an attempt to mislead the Taiwanese public. The criticism came after China's Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) spokesman Chen Binhua described the attack as an 'ordinary' public security case that occurred by chance, accusing Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party government of exploiting the incident for 'political manipulation.' Chen also claimed Taiwan was distorting China's Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law to provoke cross-strait tensions.
Transnational Repression Concerns
The MAC noted that China's TAO has repeatedly defended suspects involved in high-profile incidents in Taiwan while accusing Taipei of 'political persecution' or 'political suppression.' Separately, Taiwan Premier Cho Jung-tai told visiting US Senator Tammy Duckworth that China has attempted to carry out transnational repression targeting Taiwanese civil servants, judicial personnel, innocent family members, and foreign nationals in Taiwan. Authorities have recorded 134 people threatened in 120 cases so far.
Government Response
Premier Cho said the Taiwanese government would do everything possible to protect both residents and foreign nationals, regardless of whether the attack on Yaita was an isolated act or part of an organized effort. He also announced that the Executive Yuan has established an interagency coordination platform in response to China's new ethnic unity law and hopes to continue working with the United States to counter Beijing's cross-border pressure and 'grey zone' actions. Authorities said it remains unclear whether the assault was directly linked to China's ethnic unity law.
