TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC, 陸委會) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) emphasized on Friday (Jan. 3) Taiwan's commitment to press freedom while welcoming Chinese media to operate in Taiwan under specific regulations. However, Minister Chiu stated that Chinese media must adhere to the cross-strait permit regulations and avoid activities inconsistent with their approved purpose.
The MAC claimed that the Chinese media Strait Herald (海峽導報) engaged in activities not related to journalism, potentially involving united front work and infiltration. This prompted the council to suspend the media outlet's operations in Taiwan. Chiu noted that if Chinese media outlets attempt to sway Taiwanese citizens or violate the "Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area" (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), the MAC will restrict their activities and suspend their operations in Taiwan.
Currently, eight Chinese media organizations with 12 journalists are in Taiwan. Chiu suggested that China send more personnel to Taiwan for reporting but discouraged any united front or infiltration activities. The MAC on Thursday announced the suspension of approvals for the Strait Herald and its parent company, Fujian Daily (福建日報), to operate in Taiwan.
This decision led to criticism from China's Taiwan Affairs Office (中國國台辦), which accused Taiwan of making baseless allegations against Chinese journalists and labeled the move as a "blatant regression" in cross-strait media exchanges.