MAC warns against cooperating with TAO Facebook 'bounty' posts

Taipei, Oct. 23 (CNA) Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Thursday urged the public not to comply with Beijing's "bounty notices" or provide information via a newly created Facebook page run by China's Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO), warning that doing so could violate Taiwan's National Security Act.

"If anyone complies with the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) so-called 'bounty notices' by providing information or filing reports, the conduct could fall under the National Security Act, the National Intelligence Services Act, and the Criminal Code," MAC deputy head and spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said at a regular news briefing in Taipei.

Such conduct could prompt legal action by Taiwanese authorities and result in imprisonment of seven years or more, he said, urging the public not to cooperate with the Chinese side for "a bit of personal gain."

Liang made the remarks when asked about a Facebook page newly set up by TAO -- MAC's counterpart across the Taiwan Strait -- and noted that such cooperation could be facilitated by Facebook's private-messaging function.

Launched Tuesday under the name "Spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council," the TAO Facebook page had about 18,000 followers as of 7 p.m. Wednesday, with eight posts in total.

Except for the launch post, the remaining seven were video clips of TAO spokesperson Zhu Fenglian (朱鳳蓮) answering reporters' questions at Wednesday's press briefing, each with Traditional Chinese subtitles.

Describing it as a "relaunch," Liang said TAO launched a Facebook page in 2016, "but because few people followed it, it was shut down in 2020."

"Frankly, we're a bit envious of the TAO," Liang said, noting that TAO can set up a Facebook page for people in Taiwan to see, whereas MAC "clearly" cannot open a page on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, as it would "likely be blocked immediately."

"This reflects the differences between the two sides' systems and their approaches to controlling speech," he added.

Across those eight posts, many users left comments expressing concern about Yu Menglong (于朦朧), a Chinese entertainer who died last month. Many questioned the circumstances of his death, with some calling it suspicious, and repeatedly asked whether a case had been filed and for updates on the investigation.

Others also left comments questioning whether TAO was "climbing the firewall" -- a reference to circumventing China's Great Firewall, which blocks internet users in China from platforms such as Facebook and Google -- sarcastically asking, "Are you here to experience free speech?"

Asked about the reactions in the comments, Liang said it is natural for Taiwanese netizens to express their views, adding, "I don't think that would be possible under conditions in mainland China."