After Taiwanese legislator Shen Boyang was placed under investigation by mainland China for alleged involvement in separatist activities, he traveled to Germany to attend a parliamentary hearing. In response, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the mainland stated that Taiwan independence activists are already on their last legs, with nowhere left to turn.
Shen Boyang is an at-large legislator from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in Taiwan. Three years ago, he established a civic organization, the "Black Bear Academy," to promote public discussions on national defense, national situation analyses, and related issues.
On October 28, the Chongqing Public Security Bureau in China accused Shen of "establishing a Taiwan independence separatist organization, vigorously promoting the fallacy of 'Taiwan independence' and engaging in criminal activities aimed at dividing the country over a long period of time," deciding to open a case for investigation and to hold him criminally responsible according to law. On the 9th, China also threatened, via official media, to seek Shen’s global arrest through Interpol.
According to CCTV News, on the 14th, State Council Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Chen Binhua responded to reporters by saying: "People like Shen Boyang, together with the DPP authorities, furtively orchestrate self-directed spectacles of visiting other countries, which only exposes their inner panic over the looming sword of justice against 'Taiwan independence.'"
Chen Binhua stated, "He who does many unrighteous deeds is doomed to destruction. The more frantically Taiwan independence activists pursue their hopeless cause, the sooner they will reach their end. What awaits them is the verdict of justice, a downfall, and eternal disgrace."
● Shen Boyang: I'm right at the German parliament entrance
On the 12th, at a German Bundestag hearing entitled "Threats of Disinformation from Dictatorial States to Democracy and Human Rights," Shen stated that mainland China was threatening to arrest him overseas, but he was not afraid.
After the hearing, Shen was interviewed in Berlin and remarked that Taiwan should not be afraid of threats from the mainland. "All of us must remain fearless. Only by standing together with the camp of world democracy and freedom can we properly resist the encroachment of these dictatorial states."
Before attending the hearing, Shen posted a video on Facebook, saying mainland China was preparing to hunt him down. "They kept saying I could not go abroad and that I would be arrested if I did, but as everyone can see, I am now standing right at the entrance of the German parliament. Soon, I will be going in as a Taiwanese legislator to testify—for freedom, for democracy."
On the morning of the 14th, Shen returned to Taiwan from Germany. When asked by the media, Shen stated that the mainland's definition of "Taiwan independence" is entirely unilaterally decided by the other side—that as long as one does not meet their expectations, one could be labeled as pro-independence.