Chen Binhua, spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office

The DPP authorities feel ashamed and are furious, as Xiaohongshu enables Taiwan residents — especially young people — to learn about the real situation on the mainland and to interact with mainland users in a warm and friendly manner, which has caused the "information cocoon" deliberately created by the DPP authorities, as well as their smearing and vilification of the mainland, to collapse completely, said Chen Binhua, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, on Wednesday.

The remarks were made in response to the Taiwan authorities' imposition of a one-year ban on the mainland social platform Xiaohongshu, citing alleged cybersecurity risks and numerous fraud cases. The so-called "cybersecurity" concerns they raise merely expose their own inner fear and sense of insecurity, said Chen.

Last week, Taiwan region's so-called "internal affairs department" said it would restrict access to Xiaohongshu, known in English as RedNote, for one year, citing alleged cybersecurity risks and involvement in more than 1,700 fraud cases since 2024, according to multiple Taiwan local media outlets. 

In response to the ban, Chen cited a saying from "Zuo Zhuan," a Confucian masterpiece, that "An ordinary man is blameless, but owning a valuable makes him a target." Chen said that as everyone knows, Xiaohongshu is positioned as a lifestyle and interest community. With its rich and diverse everyday content, community atmosphere close to young people's interests, and convenient interaction methods, it is deeply loved by residents in Taiwan, especially the youth. 

As for the so-called "anti-fraud" excuse, Chen said that, according to Taiwan media reports, Facebook was involved in nearly 60,000 fraud cases on the island last year and has already exceeded 30,000 cases this year — far more than the number the DPP authorities attribute to Xiaohongshu. 

The DPP authorities are using "anti-fraud" as a pretext while actually engaging in anti-democracy actions. Their high-handed behavior tramples on democracy, obstructs freedom, brutally deprives Taiwan residents — especially young people — of their right to information and their freedom to use social platforms, and seriously damages the livelihoods of those in Taiwan who make a living through Xiaohongshu, said Chen.

From blocking mainland e-commerce and video platforms to now banning mainland social platforms, the DPP has truly become the "People-Ban Party" that opposes ordinary people: They ban what ordinary Taiwan residents commonly use and block what Taiwan's youth love, said Chen.

Those who commit many injustices will bring about their own ruin. The DPP authorities' wanton and arbitrary actions will surely backfire. Their retrograde measures cannot stop the irresistible trend of Taiwan residents, especially the young people, who want to understand the mainland and build friendships with compatriots across the Straits, said the spokesperson.

Global Times