Mainland Chinese authorities have announced a reward for information on alleged criminal activities involving two Taiwanese internet celebrities, Wen Ziyu (online alias “Ba Jiong”) and Chen Baiyuan (online alias “Minnan Wolf”).
On the 13th, the Public Security Bureau of Quanzhou, Fujian Province, posted the above announcement on its WeChat public account, “Quanzhou Public Security.”
According to the notice, investigations by the Quanzhou Public Security Bureau have found that Taiwanese internet celebrities Wen Ziyu and Chen Baiyuan have, for a long time, published and disseminated large amounts of “anti-China” and “opposing China” statements on overseas social media platforms, incited separatism, viciously attacked and smeared the mainland’s Taiwan-benefiting and people-friendly policies, bullied and persecuted mainland spouses residing in Taiwan, and acted as “Taiwan independence” accomplices and henchmen, causing a seriously negative impact. Their actions have violated the provisions of the Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China and are suspected of the crime of inciting separatism.
The notice states that, in order to severely punish criminal activities that undermine national sovereignty and territorial integrity in accordance with the law, and to effectively safeguard national security, the public security organs urge the public to actively provide clues. Informants who provide effective clues to the public security organs, as well as individuals who assist the authorities in apprehending the relevant criminal suspects, will be rewarded by the Quanzhou Public Security Bureau with between 50,000 and 250,000 RMB (29,000 to 145,000 ringgit), depending on the circumstances. Those who harbor fugitives will be held legally accountable in accordance with the law. Those who retaliate against informants will be severely punished by law.
In response to the above announcement, Mainland Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Chen Binhua stated that the public security authorities’ issuance of a notice offering a reward for information on the alleged crimes of the aforementioned individuals is a concrete action to punish and combat crimes of separatism and inciting separatism according to law, and is a just action that responds to the calls of people on both sides of the strait for punishing “Taiwan independence” activities. It is proper and necessary.
He said, "Accomplices and henchmen of 'Taiwan independence' act unscrupulously and act as lackeys. People on both sides of the strait deeply detest them. These vile people must be strictly punished according to law and held accountable for life."