Taipei Times
Date: May 11, 2016
By: Sean Lin / Staff reporter

Beijing should be cautious about its timing to pressure Taiwan, as pressuring the nation at international conferences on healthcare and sanitation might trigger a backlash similar to that caused by Taiwanese K-pop singer Chou Tzu-yu’s (周子瑜) forced apology, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said yesterday.

Ko made the comment when asked by reporters about Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wang Ding-yu’s (王定宇) idea that Taiwan’s delegation to the World Health Assembly should bring with Zika and dengue-fever-carrying mosquitoes to the Geneva gathering to protest against Beijing subordinating Taiwan’s sovereignty.

“Disease prevention efforts should be thorough around the world. I believe that the Chinese Communist Party will apply all kinds of pressure on Taiwan, but it had better avoid some issues, particularly issues about healthcare and sanitation. Otherwise, the backlash triggered by the Chou Tzu-yu incident will recur. Beijing needs to be careful,” Ko said.

Chou made a tearful apology in January for briefly holding up a Republic of China flag during an appearance with other members of TWICE on a South Korean variety show, which had drawn a wave of protests from Chinese netizens.     [FULL  STORY]