TAIPEI (TVBS News) — A Chinese literature teacher at one of Taiwan's most prestigious high schools has found herself at the center of a political firestorm following her appearance on mainland Chinese state television. Alice Ou (區桂芝), who teaches at the renowned Taipei First Girls' High School (北一女), defended her controversial interview on Thursday (March 27), claiming that her conversation with China Central Television (央視) was originally intended to focus exclusively on traditional Chinese culture and educational practices rather than sensitive cross-strait politics.
The educator became embroiled in controversy after she publicly challenged President Lai Ching-te's (賴清德) diplomatic position toward Beijing during her appearance on the Chinese network. During the interview, Ou responded emotionally to the president's description of China as a "hostile foreign force," stating, "I immediately thought of my mother becoming a hostile foreign force, and I wondered how we should cope." Her personalization of geopolitical tensions between Taiwan and China struck a nerve in Taiwan's politically charged environment, where educational neutrality is highly valued.
The controversy escalated when the Taipei Education Bureau confirmed it had received a formal complaint regarding Ou's televised remarks on Tuesday, triggering widespread public debate about the appropriate boundaries for educators discussing cross-strait relations. Defending her professional approach in the wake of mounting criticism, Ou attempted to separate her academic focus from political implications. "I teach Chinese literature, so when I speak about the beauty of traditional Chinese literature, I wonder what conflict there is with so-called educational neutrality," she stated, suggesting that appreciation of cultural heritage should transcend current political tensions.
Detractors have accused the literature teacher of promoting politically charged viewpoints inappropriate for an educator and engaging in professional misconduct during her media appearance. The Taipei City Department of Education (台北市教育局) reported that complainants specifically objected to provocative statements attributed to Ou, including the assertion that "Taiwan cannot face its ancestors if it disowns China." Critics further noted that she had inappropriately leveraged her position at the prestigious high school by using her professional title during the interview without obtaining the required authorization from school administrators.