Ma Long Visits Taiwan University with Chinese Student Delegation, Faces Protests from Students, Including Hong Kong Voices

A helicopter flying over Taipei 101 with the national flag displayed. (Photo by Annabelle Chih/Getty Images)

[People News] Chinese Olympic gold medalists Ma Long and Yang Qian, invited by the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation, have been visiting Taiwan for exchanges since last week. However, during their visit to National Taiwan University (NTU) this morning (Dec. 3), they encountered protests from students. Demonstrators called for genuine dialogue and protested against comments from some members of the Chinese delegation who previously referred to Taiwan’s championship-winning baseball team as "Chinese Taipei." A Hong Kong student participating in the protest argued that such visits are merely a tactic of the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) united front strategy.

According to a report by Radio Free Asia, around 70 people were already waiting at the venue, the ground floor of the NTU Social Sciences Building, early in the morning. When the motorcade arrived at 10 a.m., Ma Long led the group, greeted immediately by a mix of cheers and jeers. The Tibetan independence flag, known as the Snow Lion flag, was the first thing to welcome him.

While some cheered, a group of over 20 students raised protest signs and chanted slogans. Ma Long smiled and waved as he walked on, while other Chinese students responded with smiles, waves, or expressionless indifference.

NTU student representative, Mr. Huang, stated: "NTU students are concerned about many issues, such as democracy in Hong Kong, human rights in Xinjiang, gender equality, the Tiananmen Square massacre, and Taiwan’s sovereignty. These are topics I hope to share with the Chinese students. I hope their visit to Taiwan will provide an important lesson for the CCP."

Protesters Gift Democracy Books as Souvenirs

The students prepared books about democracy in China and Hong Kong to give to the visiting Chinese students as souvenirs. However, the delegation members declined to accept them. Amid the protests, Hong Kong students also joined the demonstration. A student named Mr. Qi remarked that this type of visit is essentially part of the CCP's united front strategy:
"Even if the event appears apolitical on the surface, seeing people asking for autographs or waving the Chinese national flag suggests it aligns with the CCP’s united front agenda. I view this as part of the CCP’s image-building efforts."

The protesters arrived early, carrying signs with messages such as "Support Democracy and Human Rights" and "Dear Friends, Democracy Is a Good Thing." They chanted slogans like "NTU Students Love Freedom," "This Is Not Chinese Taipei," "Redress Tiananmen," "Support Free Speech in China," and "Support Democratization in China." NTU did not prevent the protests, instead dispatching staff to maintain order.