Taiwan deports mainland Chinese scholar Li Yi over planned pro-unification speech
- Academic was due to speak at a forum organised by the Chinese Unity Promotion Party, which officials say would have violated his tourist permit
- He has been banned from visiting the island in the future
Taiwan has deported mainland Chinese academic Li Yi for trying to promote cross-strait unification under the “one country, two systems” model, a move certain to infuriate Beijing.
Li, a sociology researcher with Renmin University of China, was expelled on Friday morning on the grounds that he was due to deliver a pro-unification speech, which the island’s immigration authorities said was a violation of his tourist entry permit and “could endanger national security and cause public unrest”.
“We have listed him as persona non grata and he is restricted from visiting Taiwan in the future,” the National Immigration Agency said in a statement.
Travellers who visit Taiwan for tourism are not allowed to work while they are on the island, while giving a speech that is politically sensitive is also prohibited and visitors face deportation if they do so.
Li, who is said to live mostly in the United States, is known as an advocate of the use of force, if necessary, to unify self-ruled Taiwan and mainland China.
