BEIJING: China has hit back at Taiwan’s move to block access to Chinese lifestyle app Xiaohongshu for a year, accusing the island’s government of hurting democracy and depriving Taiwanese of their right to information.
The criticism from Beijing comes as the suspension sparks backlash on the self-ruled island, where the Instagram-like platform has more than 3 million users.
At a press conference on Wednesday (Dec 10), China’s Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Chen Binhua said Xiaohongshu is “deeply loved” by Taiwanese, especially younger users, for its community and content.
Many use it to “understand the real situation on the mainland” and interact with mainland Chinese users, he added.
“This has made the ‘information cocoon’ created by the DPP (Democratic Progressive Party) authorities, as well as the slander against the mainland, fail completely,” said Chen.
Chen also rejected Taipei’s justification that the ban on the Chinese lifestyle app was needed to curb online fraud.
When announcing the ban on Dec 4, Taiwan’s Criminal Investigation Bureau said authorities found 1,706 cases of fraud since 2024, with financial losses exceeding NT$247 million (US$7.9 million).
The statement did not say when the order would come into effect, but the South China Morning Post (SCMP) has reported that users in Taiwan flagged on Dec 8 that the app’s pages began failing to load.
At Wednesday’s press conference, Chen said Facebook was involved in nearly 60,000 fraud cases in Taiwan last year and more than 30,000 cases this year – far exceeding the number of cases the DPP has linked to Xiaohongshu.
“What the DPP authorities deem ‘anti-fraud’ is actually ‘anti-democracy’,” said Chen.
“It tramples on democracy, obstructs freedom, and brutally deprives Taiwanese – especially the youth – of their right to information and freedom to use social media platforms.”
Chen added that the ban also hurts the livelihoods of those in Taiwan who make a living through Xiaohongshu.
He further warned that the DPP’s “wanton and arbitrary” actions will backfire, and that it cannot stop the Taiwanese people, especially youths, from learning about the mainland and building friendships with mainland Chinese.
Beijing’s criticism comes amid pushback in Taiwan. According to SCMP, many have accused the DPP of overreach and damaging the island’s reputation for open internet access.
Since the ban was announced, Xiaohongshu has been climbing app store charts in Taiwan – even topping the list at one point – while one of the most downloaded utility apps in this same period has been a virtual private network (VPN) service, according to reports.
It suggests users are seeking to circumvent the block and continue using Xiaohongshu.
“The more you ban, the more people want it,” said popular Taiwanese influencer Cheap, who has more than 1 million followers.
“The government’s warning has become the best free advertising,” he added, calling it a textbook case of prohibition fuelling curiosity.
Cheng Li-wen, chairwoman of the Kuomintang, Taiwan’s main opposition party, noted how Xiaohongshu did not rank among the top platforms for scams on the island.
“This is selective censorship,” Cheng added. “The DPP is building a great firewall.”