News and Trends

Teacher’s CCTV Interview Draws Criticism

Teacher faces backlash after criticizing Taiwan’s president on Chinese state TV, prompting official scrutiny of her position.

April 3, 2025 | East Asia

Taipei First Girls’ High School Chinese literature teacher Alice Ou (區桂芝) sparked controversy after criticizing President William Lai (賴清德) in an interview with China’s state broadcaster CCTV. Ou questioned Lai’s description of China as an “external hostile force” (境外敵對勢力), stating that she still wanted to visit her mother and relatives in China.

Mainland Affairs Council Deputy Minister Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) called Ou’s comments “really inappropriate” and suggested authorities evaluate her suitability to teach at the prestigious school, which was attended by the daughter of former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) as well as Zheng Li-jun (鄭麗君), a politician for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) who served as culture minister and deputy premier.

Buckle up. Hugely divisive controversies like this one seem to be on the rise in Taiwan.

Dalia Parete is a researcher for the China Media Project and coordinates data and mapping for Lingua Sinica, CMP’s online resource on Chinese-language media globally. She studies PRC efforts to influence media integrity across local contexts. Having worked at EUISS in Paris and at RUSI and IISS in London, she also specializes in Chinese foreign policy and Taiwan studies. She holds a master’s degree from SOAS (China and International Politics) and LSE (International Relations).