TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC, 陸委會) Deputy Minister Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) announced Thursday (Aug. 7) that authorities found no official records of BYD Auto (比亞迪) representatives visiting Taiwan. Liang noted that if these individuals hold other nationalities besides Chinese citizenship, they would effectively bypass the mandatory review process for mainland Chinese entering Taiwan. This revelation raises questions about potential regulatory gaps in Taiwan's cross-strait visitor monitoring system.
BYD Auto, a Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer, recently sparked controversy after dining with top officials from the Legislative Yuan (立法院), Taiwan's parliament. Taikoo Motors Group (太古汽車集團) and a media professional facilitated the high-profile meeting between the Chinese automaker and Taiwanese political figures. A Sanlih E-Television (三立電視) executive who attended the dinner clarified that they participated upon invitation and helped invite friends from Taiwan's political sphere, emphasizing no deliberate setup was involved and requesting internal disciplinary measures.
Liang highlighted significant concerns about Chinese electric vehicles, attributing their artificially low prices to extensive government subsidies that lead to overproduction and market dumping. He pointed out serious cybersecurity risks associated with advanced connectivity features embedded in these vehicles. The MAC aligns with the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA, 經濟部) in closely scrutinizing Chinese vehicle brands seeking entry into Taiwan's automotive market due to concerns over national security, vehicle safety, and information security vulnerabilities. ◼