China’s new ‘bounty’ notices triggered satire, police reports, and political backlash across Taiwan.
China has issued bounties targeting Taiwanese online influencers, prompting swift and satirical pushback from those named and renewed debate in Taiwan about the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) pressure tactics.
On Thursday, the Public Security Bureau in Fujian, China, announced bounties of up to 250,000 yuan (approx. $34,000) for information leading to the capture of two Taiwanese online personalities, Wen Tzu-yu, an influencer known as “Pa Chiung” online, and Chen Po-yuan, an influencer and rapper known on stage as “Mannam PYC.” China’s “Taiwan Affairs Office” accused the two of “inciting secession,” a charge the CCP frequently levels at Taiwan independence advocates and critics of the regime.
The move came one day after China issued a similar notice against Taiwanese lawmaker Puma Shen, a member of Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party.
Influencers Mock Bounties by CCP
Shortly after the bounty was announced, Wen posted a satirical “reverse wanted” post on the social media site Threads. Instead of featuring him, the poster listed Wang Huning, chairman of the CCP’s highest political advisory body, the People’s Political Consultative Conference, and Song Tao, head of China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, as fugitives.
The image, paired with Taiwan’s national flag, accused the two senior officials of “serving foreign Marxist–Leninist forces” and persecuting anti-Communist Chinese nationals. The post also jokingly offered a NT$200,000 to NT$1 million reward ($6,200–$31,000) for information about their whereabouts.
Chen, who was also targeted by Beijing, went to a local police station in Taichung City, Taiwan, to file a report and to, in a satirical move, “turn himself in.”
“I’m here to surrender. Why won’t Taiwan’s police arrest me?” he asked, suggesting to reporters that Taiwan appears already independent as their police refuse to act on China’s bounties.
His visit to the police station came after a new Threads account calling itself a “strike team” posted threats claiming it would “take action” on a street in Taichung City. Taichung police said the account used a non-Taiwanese phone number and has been active since July, posting in simplified Chinese and supporting Beijing’s narrative. Police suspect it originated in mainland China and said prosecutors have been notified, stressing that it “will not tolerate threats that undermine social order.”
