Taiwanese Influencers Push Back After China Issues Bounties for Their Arrest

China’s new ‘bounty’ notices triggered satire, police reports, and political backlash across Taiwan.

Taiwanese influencers Wen Tzu-yu (R) and Chen Po-yuan. Song Bilong/file/The Epoch Times

China has issued bounties targeting Taiwanese online influencers, prompting swift and satirical pushback from those named and renewed debate in Taiwan about the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) pressure tactics.

On Thursday, the Public Security Bureau in Fujian, China, announced bounties of up to 250,000 yuan (approx. $34,000) for information leading to the capture of two Taiwanese online personalities, Wen Tzu-yu, an influencer known as “Pa Chiung” online, and Chen Po-yuan, an influencer and rapper known on stage as “Mannam PYC.” China’s “Taiwan Affairs Office” accused the two of “inciting secession,” a charge the CCP frequently levels at Taiwan independence advocates and critics of the regime.

The move came one day after China issued a similar notice against Taiwanese lawmaker Puma Shen, a member of Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party.

Influencers Mock Bounties by CCP

Shortly after the bounty was announced, Wen posted a satirical “reverse wanted” post on the social media site Threads. Instead of featuring him, the poster listed Wang Huning, chairman of the CCP’s highest political advisory body, the People’s Political Consultative Conference, and Song Tao, head of China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, as fugitives.

The image, paired with Taiwan’s national flag, accused the two senior officials of “serving foreign Marxist–Leninist forces” and persecuting anti-Communist Chinese nationals. The post also jokingly offered a NT$200,000 to NT$1 million reward ($6,200–$31,000) for information about their whereabouts.

Chen, who was also targeted by Beijing, went to a local police station in Taichung City, Taiwan, to file a report and to, in a satirical move, “turn himself in.”

“I’m here to surrender. Why won’t Taiwan’s police arrest me?” he asked, suggesting to reporters that Taiwan appears already independent as their police refuse to act on China’s bounties.

His visit to the police station came after a new Threads account calling itself a “strike team” posted threats claiming it would “take action” on a street in Taichung City. Taichung police said the account used a non-Taiwanese phone number and has been active since July, posting in simplified Chinese and supporting Beijing’s narrative. Police suspect it originated in mainland China and said prosecutors have been notified, stressing that it “will not tolerate threats that undermine social order.”

Families and Public Figures Respond

On Friday, Chen’s mother, Chiang Chin-yun, released an emotional open letter when she learned of the bounty.

“These two boys are simply speaking up for Taiwan’s democracy,” she wrote. “As a mother, I feel both proud and worried.”

She urged Taiwanese society not to let fear silence dissent and called for the public to support the young anti-Communist activists.

“Protecting them is protecting Taiwan’s sovereignty,” Chiang said. “Let the voice of justice not be drowned out by fear, and let all of Taiwan know—we will not bow to the CCP’s authoritarianism.”

U.S.-based Taiwanese scholar Chen Shih-fen praised Wen’s satirical response.

He referred to the CCP’s bounty as “a joke on par with ‘Little Pink’ propaganda,” referring to young pro-CCP Chinese netizens who post content propagating the regime’s views and troll those who disagree with them.

“If Taiwan actually took the ‘Little Pink’ jokes from across the strait seriously, we’d just look uncool,” Chen said while praising Wen’s humorous jab at the CCP officials.

Taipei’s Mayor Chiang Wan-an also told the city council that safeguarding citizens is the government’s responsibility.

“Whenever any Taiwanese encounters a situation like this, the government must respond immediately with concern and diplomatic engagement,” he said.

Dai Deman contributed to this report.