TAIPEI (TVBS News) — China's Taiwan Affairs Office (國台辦), the mainland agency responsible for cross-strait relations, confirmed Wednesday (June 11) that controversial Taiwanese fitness influencer Holger Chen (陳之漢) had entered the country on what officials described as a personal visit. Chen, who commands millions of followers across social media platforms, arrived in Shanghai on Tuesday after departing from Taiwan's main international gateway, Taoyuan International Airport. His decision to live-stream his journey across the politically sensitive Taiwan Strait instantly ignited fierce debate among Taiwanese citizens.
Zhu Fenglian (朱鳳蓮), the official spokesperson for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, expressed a warm welcome for Taiwanese social media personalities like Chen, encouraging them to participate in what she termed "quality activities" during their mainland visits. In carefully measured diplomatic language, Zhu expressed hope that such visitors would share their experiences "objectively" to foster greater understanding between Taiwan and mainland China. Her statement included a thinly veiled warning that any actions perceived as undermining these cross-strait exchanges would "face opposition from both sides of the strait."
The muscular, heavily tattooed Chen, renowned for his blunt communication style and founder of the provocatively named fitness brand Notorious (惡名昭彰), declared that his journey aimed to debunk what he characterized as myths perpetuated by Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP, 民進黨). In statements made before his departure, Chen accused the independence-leaning DPP of employing fear-based rhetoric about China to secure an electoral advantage. His political transformation has been remarkable — from organizing demonstrations against Chinese-influenced media in 2019 to becoming an increasingly vocal critic of the DPP administration in recent years.
Zhu emphasized that Chen's controversial visit was entirely "self-initiated" and dismissed unnamed security concerns that had circulated in Taiwanese media. As the fitness mogul explores Shanghai's gleaming urban landscape under the watchful eye of his live-streaming audience, his every move continues to fuel intense discussions about the complex and often fraught relationship between Taiwan and China. His visit represents an unusual moment of cultural exchange during a period of heightened cross-strait tensions. ◼