How much longer does the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) have to put up with freedom-loving loudmouths?
Thoughtful Party rulers can’t even entertain their subjects with NBA basketball or English Premier League soccer without fear that Chinese fans will then discover the tweet of some busybody droning on against Chinese repression in Hong Kong or complaining about a scant million or so Uighurs checked into friendly re-education camps.
Last month, Chen Chia-chin, a Taiwanese YouTuber known as the Potter King, with a “considerable following on both sides of the Taiwan Strait,” dared post a video featuring Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen. She is the first female president of that island nation, and on the ballot for re-election this Saturday.
Moreover, she has quite ungraciously declined China’s magnanimous offer to take over Taiwan, by force if necessary, under the “One China, Two Systems” banner. And the CCP even offered to toss in tear gas for free!
Back to the vicious attack on Chinese sovereignty by this Potter King fellow, he also referred to President Tsai as … [are you sitting down?] … “president.”
“Chinese media avoids mentioning ‘Taiwan president,’” explains Mothership, a Singapore-based news site, “as it implies that Taiwan is an independent, sovereign country.”*
Bad enough to say something the CCP doesn’t want said, but the Potter King went further — refusing to un-say it. His videos are still watched by half a million subscribers on YouTube.
Of course, China beneficently bans YouTube. And Papitube, the Chinese agency marketing his program, has now nullified his contract.
Chen Chia-chin’s prioritization of freedom mustn’t be allowed. But what if the prioritization of Taiwanese voters tomorrow cannot be stopped?
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
* Not to mention that Taiwan suffers from the twin political ailments, in the CCP’s view, of freedom and democracy.
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