Taiwanese influencer Holger Chen denies receiving money on China trip

Taipei, June 15 (CNA) Taiwanese online celebrity Holger Chen (陳之漢) concluded a six-day, five-night trip to Shanghai on Sunday, stressing he paid for the trip to China with his own money in the wake of extensive media coverage in Taiwan.

Chen, often referred to as "gym manager" in Taiwanese media, said he "never degraded Taiwan, never said Taiwan was not good" despite accusations he belittled his country of birth by praising China.

He said some of his critics focused on financial gain because they "didn't know what to say."

He insisted that he did not engage in business discussions on the trip, but added that he hopes to have commercial opportunities in China in the future.

Chen arrived in Shanghai on Tuesday, stating his hope to act as an "ambassador of peace" and encourage more cross-strait exchanges on his first trip to China.

He also pledged to livestream the entire trip to his large following in Taiwan -- a move that Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑), deputy head of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), said couldn't have been done without the permission of the Chinese authorities.

However, Zhu Fenglian (朱鳳蓮), spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council of the People's Republic of China (PRC), said on Wednesday that Chen traveled to Shanghai on his own.

Nonetheless, the Chinese official welcomed Taiwanese, including internet celebrities such as Chen, to experience China's food, convenient transportation, and quality goods.

Chen's livestreams drew significant attention, with hundreds of thousands in Taiwan tuning in to watch him look around China and interact with Chinese locals, with many clips shared on Chinese social media.

At one point, Chen did not directly respond when asked "What country are you from?" -- a potentially awkward question for Taiwanese to answer in China, since Beijing claims the island country as part of its territory.

Chen was also criticized for praising China, including the "good infrastructure and trendy elements" of Shanghai Pudong International Airport -- comments he said were "taken out of context" by Taiwanese media.

Other comments Chen made also perplexed many viewers, including his statement that a milk tea in Taiwan can cost as much as NT$800 (US$27).

The influencer stated that he previously harbored strong animosity toward China and never expected to visit, but recent online information differed from past perceptions, prompting him to self-fund the trip to "show the truth to everyone."

The gym-entrepreneur-turned-online-influencer is no stranger to politics. He has previously voiced support for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), and also for the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) under the leadership of Ko Wen-je (柯文哲).

Upon arrival at Shanghai Airport on June 10, Chen said he aimed to expose the "lies" spread by the DPP, which he claimed used "fear of China" as an election strategy.

Despite praising China while in the country, Chen also stated he has always believed Taiwan is "number one."

"I'm Taiwanese, how could I belittle Taiwan?" he asked.