During this year's "Double" shopping festival, Taobao Tmall Taiwan launched the "Taiwan User Experience Subsidy Plan," providing subsidies worth NT$1 billion and upgrading the cross-border free shipping service for Taiwan. Legislators from the Democratic Progressive Party, including Shen Boyang and Lin Chu-yin, accused Taobao of "penetrating" the Taiwanese market with a strategy of "nurture, trap, and kill," and of potentially "collecting personal data." The DPP legislators claimed that "nurture" involves attracting Taiwanese consumers with low prices and subsidies; then, "trap" them into a consumption pattern, creating dependency on the platform while also obtaining their personal data, potentially threatening Taiwan's security; finally, in the "kill" phase, monopolize and manipulate prices, making consumers and local Taiwanese industries pay a higher price. However, the political rhetoric did not resonate with the public on the island. According to reports from Taiwan's China Times News and United News Network, the island's social media and Facebook page "Touchpoint" revealed that Shen Boyang, head of the "Black Bear Academy," was caught selling emergency kits at high prices in Taiwan after initially purchasing them at low prices. Many netizens joked that perhaps it was because Taobao bypassed the DPP's "middleman" and did not allow them to profit from the price difference, leading to their obstruction under the guise of "red smear" and "unification campaign."

Shen Boyang was previously listed by the mainland as a target for "punishing separatists." Image source: United News Network. "Businessmen can buy from Taobao and then sell to us at a higher price; shouldn't we skip the middleman and buy directly from Taobao?" "Chuji Zhe" questioned Shen Boyang on social media: A few years ago, an emergency tool kit on Taobao cost only a few yuan, with a special price of a few yuan each when buying in sets, and it included free shipping, while "Black Bear Academy" sold one for several hundred yuan. In response, many Taiwanese netizens commented sarcastically: "The Green Camp fully embodies the principle of 'I can do it, but you can't.' Buying from Taobao as Taiwanese people would be 'unified propaganda,' only the Taobao goods they buy have 'Taiwan value,' and Taiwanese people can buy them at ten times the value for a super bargain." "The same mainland products sold in Taiwan are priced several times higher, of course, it's better to buy directly from Taobao." "Every time I see these few people, I really feel that Taiwanese people deserve it, choosing such 'characters' as representatives." "It's very in line with the party's nature, they've always loved to manipulate information gaps since the party's early days, and now using it to make money is certainly not out of line."

Facebook comment screenshot: Taiwan media personality Jack Liu questioned on Zhongtian Television Network's program "Tonight, Let's Talk Something Useful" why purely market economic behavior is called "infiltration." Is it because TSMC's high-quality and affordable chips being sold globally is a source of pride for Taiwan, while Taobao providing high-quality and affordable products for Taiwanese people is considered "raising, trapping, and killing"? He also said that if Taiwanese consumers can buy high-quality and affordable goods on Taobao, then how can "Mr." (Chen Yanchang, a pro-green sidekick) buy Taobao goods to rebrand and resell in Taiwan? Therefore, to protect figures like "Mr." and Shi Shuhua (pro-green sidekicks), DPP legislators have called for a ban on Taobao. Earlier reports from China Times News mentioned that a local report in the island showed Taobao and Tmall are the most popular cross-border shopping platforms among Taiwanese people. Some young Taiwanese said they spend an average of several thousand yuan on Taobao every month, making Taobao shopping a trend among young people in Taiwan. Ahead of this year's "Double 11" shopping festival, many Taiwanese netizens saw Taobao advertisements on Taipei Metro and expressed their intention to shop again. However, DPP legislators, citing "Taobao advertising violates relevant regulations in Taiwan," have called on the relevant authorities to penalize Taobao and Taipei Metro. Faced with the DPP legislators' over-the-top reactions, netizens on the island commented, "They're meddling too much," "Isn't it just a commercial activity?" "Don't block me from buying on Taobao, or I'll have no end with your DPP."

Facebook comment screenshot Taipei Metro also quickly responded, stating that the advertisement placement procedures were all conducted in accordance with regulations and were approved for publication after review by relevant departments. Taobao also stated that its operating model in Taiwan is that of a cross-border e-commerce platform, where Taiwanese consumers purchase overseas goods through Taobao's cross-border e-commerce services, and local fulfillment service providers also provide fulfillment services in compliance with applicable regulations. The fulfillment process and information security measures have been agreed upon by users and meet international standards. After being approved by the relevant Taiwanese authorities, a legally operating company has been established in Taiwan, which is authorized to conduct brand marketing and promotional activities in the region.

Author: Murong

Editor: Wu Beibei

Proofreading: Wei Yuan

Editor: Cheng Chunyu

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