Social media within scope of Chinese entry permit review: MAC official

Taipei, April 9 (CNA) The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) will take social media content into account when reviewing entry applications from Chinese nationals wishing to visit Taiwan, a senior official said Wednesday.

Speaking during a legislative meeting, MAC deputy head Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) confirmed that the agency, which handles cross-Taiwan Strait relations, had been looking into past social media comments or posts by Chinese nationals applying to come to Taiwan for short-term exchanges.

The process is aimed at screening for "remarks belittling Taiwan," Liang said, without specifying what such remarks entail.

The MAC official added that Chinese students were currently not subject to the agency's social media content screening.

Liang was responding to questions made by ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker Wang Yi-chuan (王義川), who called for more restrictions on Chinese nationals to combat what he called "United Front" activities in Taiwan.

"The government has to have an attitude" on the issue, Wang said, noting that the United States had implemented a policy of screening visa applicants' social media comments for national security reasons.

Wang was referring to reports that the U.S. Department of State had ordered its overseas missions to scrutinize the social media content of certain foreign applicants for student and other types of visas.

DPP lawmaker Chuang Jui-hsiung (莊瑞雄), on the other hand, spoke against any attempts by government agencies that would risk suppressing free speech in the name of safeguarding national security.

"Very strict standards and very clear laws" must apply if the government wishes to punish people for having certain political stances, Chuang said, while calling on the justice and judicial authorities to devise "clear legal provisions" for curbing war propaganda.

The DPP lawmaker added that a lack of clear legal boundaries would only brew controversy and ultimately create a "chilling effect" on Taiwanese society.

Wednesday's meeting was held against the backdrop of the expulsion of three Chinese spouses by Taiwan’s National Immigration Agency last month, on grounds that they had made remarks on social media advocating China's "unification with Taiwan through military force."