Why is a former pro-Beijing rapper wanted for inciting Taiwan secession?

In an escalation of Beijing’s campaign against perceived pro-independence agitators, mainland Chinese authorities have issued arrest warrants and offered hefty rewards for two Taiwanese social media influencers accused of “inciting secession”.

The public security bureau in Quanzhou, Fujian province announced on November 13 a bounty of 50,000 to 250,000 yuan (US$7,040 to US$35,200) for tips leading to the capture of 25-year-old Chen Po-yuan, known online as “Minnan Wolf”, and his collaborator, Wen Tzu-yu.

Minnan refers to Southern Min, a group of Chinese dialects spoken in Fujian and Taiwan.

The notice, featuring their photos, Taiwanese ID numbers and birth dates, accuses the pair of posting “statements inciting secession” and “slandering” Beijing’s preferential policies towards Taiwanese compatriots on social media platforms.

Quanzhou, a coastal city directly across the Taiwan Strait from the island, has long been the front line for Beijing’s “benefit-Taiwan” initiatives. These policies, rolled out in the past decade, aim to lure Taiwanese talent and investment by offering incentives including tax breaks for businesses, access to social services and additional quota spots at mainland universities.

Once a poster boy for cross-strait harmony, Chen arrived in Quanzhou in 2018 to study law at Huaqiao University, an institution under the Communist Party’s United Front Work Department, according to social media posts by the university. The posts have since been deleted.

South China Morning Post