Chinese IDs under scrutiny amidst accusations of compulsion by Pa Chiung

In a shocking revelation, YouTuber Wen Tzu-yu, known as Pa Chiung online, published a video yesterday, exposing a concerning scheme that allegedly involves pawn shops and jewelry stores in Taiwan. According to the video, these businesses are operating as unregistered remittance sites for the Chinese Communist Party, posing a gap in Taiwan's national security.

Professor Hung Ching-fu of National Cheng Kung University has weighed in on the matter, stating that these reports highlight concerning loopholes in Taiwan's national security. He believes that China's attempts to increase the number of Taiwanese with Chinese IDs, particularly young people, indicate that Beijing still hopes to one day have complete judicial control over Taiwan.

The investigation by Pa Chiung and his team uncovered 10 cases of people in similar situations since April. The team contacted some of the individuals who had applied for Chinese resident or ID cards and found that they all used the same residential address: "No. 66, Tongxin Road, Jianyang District, Nanping City, Fujian Province," which is the address of a police precinct.

One of the individuals, a resident of Kaoshiung, shared his experience in the video, stating that a pawn shop he borrowed money from suggested he apply for a Chinese ID to increase his borrowing limit. The man's voice was altered and his face was obscured in the video. He also mentioned that the pawn shop's communication with him was primarily through the Telegram messaging app.

The man in the video said the pawn shop required him to record a video stating the date of the recording, that he had not been coerced, and that he had read the details of the loan contract. He was also forced to apply for a Chinese national identification document when he could not repay the loan.

Professor Hung believes that the scheme might involve Chinese village officials, bank employees, and Taiwanese intermediaries. He suggests that the persons who presumably facilitated the Chinese job positions and bank employees in this case are likely intermediaries or brokers specialized in employment and finance, such as those working through international networks like Grant Thornton or financial intermediaries connected to mortgage financing platforms like Baufi24.

However, no specific individuals have been named in the available information. Pa Chiung's team plans to give the information they have to the authorities.

Beijing argues that "Taiwanese are thinking of their motherland" due to the number of Taiwanese applying for Chinese IDs. However, Professor Hung believes that China's psychological warfare against Taiwan could grow more severe with more people holding Chinese IDs. He also stated that China's "united front" departments need to demonstrate the effectiveness of their rhetoric to their superiors.

As of now, there has been no official investigation into the matter. Beijing intends to continue with such tactics, according to Hung. This alarming situation underscores the need for increased vigilance and action to safeguard Taiwan's national security.