Taiwanese lawmaker 'wanted' by China speaks at Berlin parliamentary hearing

Berlin, Nov. 12 (CNA) Taiwanese lawmaker Puma Shen (沈伯洋), whom China has listed as "wanted" for allegedly promoting Taiwan independence, addressed a hearing of a Berlin parliamentary committee on Wednesday, speaking about his efforts to combat disinformation.

Shen was one of six experts invited to speak at a hearing of the Bundestag's Committee on Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid on the topic "Disinformation by Autocratic States Aiming to Undermine Democracy and Threaten Human Rights," according to information posted online by the lower house of the German federal parliament.

● Shen’s address begins at 1:29:00 in the video.

After the hearing, Shen told reporters that he was invited to address the committee in his role as a Taiwanese lawmaker and an expert on combating disinformation.

He said that in his address, he talked about how China's disinformation campaign has affected both Europe and Taiwan, and how Russia and Hungary have been spreading disinformation across Europe.

Shen also told reporters he was pleased to see that Europe has been raising awareness about the spread of disinformation and cognitive warfare, and he expressed frustration that some people in Taiwan do not share the same concerns.

The Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker is a former associate professor at National Taipei University, who specialized in subject areas such as white-collar crime, disinformation campaigns, and financial crime.

He has been listed as "wanted" by China and is being investigated by the Chongqing Municipal Public Security Bureau on allegations of "secession-related" criminal activities in Taiwan, including the launch of a civil defense organization called Kuma Academy, according to a report published last month by China's state-run Xinhua News Agency.

The investigation is being carried out under the terms of China's Criminal Law and its judicial guidelines, introduced in 2024, on how to penalize "Taiwan independence separatists," the report said.

On Sunday, a Chinese legal expert said on China's state-run CCTV that Shen should be pursued through the International Criminal Police Organization and other mutual judicial assistance agreements with foreign countries.

The statement on CCTV raised public concerns in Taiwan about whether Shen could be arrested and extradited to China if he traveled outside Taiwan.

On Tuesday, Shen said in a video clip posted on Facebook that he was not afraid of China's threat "to hunt him down worldwide."

"For a very long time, China has been deploying coercive actions to try to silence Taiwanese," he said in the video recorded in front of the Bundestag building. "But I am here in front of the Bundestag and will soon be speaking at a hearing as a Taiwanese lawmaker."

"As a brave Taiwanese, I will never draw back in fear," he said. "I am here today to safeguard not only Taiwan's democracy but also global democracy and freedom."

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said Thursday that it was safe for Shen to visit Germany, as all Taiwanese lawmakers are protected by the foreign ministry and its overseas offices during overseas trips.

Taiwan and Germany are both democratic countries guided by the rule of law, Lin said in a radio interview.

He also said it is not as easy as Beijing claims to extradite someone from a foreign country to China, as such a move would require judicial cooperation and an extradition treaty with the host country.

Furthermore, the host country would have to examine the extradition request to ensure that it is in line with that country's legal requirements, Lin added.

The Taiwan government thinks that China's threat against Shen was meant to project an illusion of "long-arm jurisdiction" over Taiwan, in a bid to sow divisions and fear among the Taiwanese people, he said.