TAIPEI, Taiwan—The Taiwan government has accused the Chinese communist regime of engaging in transnational repression after a Chinese state-run newspaper in Hong Kong published an article targeting Taiwanese Interior Minister Liu Shyh-fang and her nephew.

The Taiwanese Mainland Affairs Council, a government agency that handles cross-strait affairs, criticized Hong Kong newspaper Ta Kung Pao for “disseminating malicious information” to attack Liu and for “improperly implicating” her nephew, according to a Feb. 27 statement.

“This is a blatant misuse of the pretext of ‘punishing Taiwan independence’ to carry out what amounts to transnational repression against the Taiwanese government, its officials, and innocent citizens,” the council stated.

“Such egregious actions by the Chinese Communist Party will only instill fear among people engaged in cross-strait exchanges, continuously harming the healthy development of cross-strait interactions.”

In an article published on Feb. 27, Ta Kung Pao accused Liu of receiving political donations from her nephew, Yen Wen-chun, who allegedly held senior management positions at three companies in China.

The outlet also accused Liu of being a “die-hard” supporter of “Taiwanese independence” who had discouraged cross-strait exchanges while allowing her relatives to profit from businesses in China.

Ta Kung Pao is controlled by the Chinese regime’s liaison office in Hong Kong via a subsidiary.

In response to Ta Kung Pao’s allegations, Chen Binhua, spokesperson for the Chinese Taiwan Affairs Office, an agency under the State Council, said the matter was being handled in accordance with the law, according to a statement on Feb. 27. Chen said that Taiwan’s “separatists,” including companies and individuals that supported them, would “face severe punishment.”

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) views Taiwan as a part of its territory and is rapidly modernizing its military in an effort to take the island by force or compel it to submit to its rule. The communist regime has labeled anyone who advocates for Taiwan’s sovereignty, particularly members of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), as separatists.

The CCP has imposed sanctions or entry bans on several DPP members in recent years, including current Taiwan Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim and Defense Minister Wellington Koo. In January, the Chinese regime added Liu to the list of people subject to an entry ban for alleged separatist activities in connection with “Taiwan independence.”

The Mainland Affairs Council stated that the Taiwan government has always been supportive of normal cross-strait exchanges that and Taiwanese who choose to invest or work in China are contributing to cross-strait interaction.

“However, the Chinese Communist Party’s ongoing threats and intimidation only heighten public resentment and caution in Taiwan,” the council stated. “The government reminds citizens considering investment or business in China to carefully assess political differences and personal safety risks.”

Liu responded to Ta Kung Pao’s allegations on March 2. According to Taiwan’s national media outlet, Radio Taiwan International, Liu said her nephew donated NT$100,000 (about US$3,000) to her legislative campaign in 2019. However, Yen only started working in China in 2023, according to Liu.

In August 2025, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), a France-based press freedom group, named Ta Kung Pao as one of the Chinese “propaganda outlets” that had carried out a “smear campaign” against the organization, according to a statement. RSF stated that the attacks were linked to its support for Jimmy Lai, a critic of the Chinese Communist Party and founder of the now-defunct newspaper Apple Daily.

RSF stated that Ta Kung Pao accused the group of being “anti-China” after RSF issued a statement calling for Lai’s release from prison. RSF also stated that two Ta Kung Pao articles “were also amplified by other propaganda media.”

“RSF is not anti-China, it is pro-press freedom. This is not about being ‘pro’ or ‘anti’ China, but about being for or against free, pluralistic, and independent media,” Antoine Bernard, director of advocacy and assistance at RSF, said in a statement at the time.