Taiwanese Politician Sentenced for Election Interference via China Trips

A member of Taiwan's Kuomintang party, Lin Xue-feng, has been definitively sentenced to four years in prison for her role in attempting to influence a presidential election through sponsored trips to mainland China. The verdict, upheld by the Supreme Court, also includes a three-year deprivation of civil rights and the confiscation of illicit gains amounting to 9,600 New Taiwan dollars.

The case involved Lin, who had previously run for a city council seat, organizing three trips between August and November 2023. She invited village chiefs and local figures from Chiayi County and City to visit Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, in China. While participants paid a partial fee for flights and local transport in Taiwan, their accommodation, food, and activities in China were fully covered by the Taizhou Taiwan Affairs Office.

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hope to support candidate Hou Yu-ih to be elected, only then can cross-strait exchanges be promoted.

During these trips, Chinese officials reportedly urged the attendees to support Kuomintang candidate Hou Yu-ih for president, emphasizing that his election would foster cross-strait exchanges. Lin Xue-feng herself repeatedly encouraged the group to vote for Hou Yu-ih. Evidence, including travel records, group chats, and photographs, supported the investigation's findings that participants were aware of the "landing hospitality" and heard calls to support a specific candidate.

The Supreme Court affirmed the lower court's decision, stating that while freedom of political expression is protected, it does not extend to collaborating with external hostile forces to offer benefits that influence voter intentions. Lin's actions were deemed clear violations of the Anti-Infiltration Act and the Presidential and Vice Presidential Election and Recall Act, leading to the finalization of her sentence.

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the law protects people's freedom to express political opinions, but it does not protect the benefits of collaborating with external hostile forces to provide external hospitality to influence voters' intentions.