Shen Boyang: From the pornographic controversy to the current turmoil, it reflects the dilemma of Taiwan’s democratic defense

◎ Ke Jiazhi

In 2024, Shen Boyang talked about the risks of using a Chinese-backed VPN to watch adult films. Citing a research paper, he said that as long as one knows a person's preferred porn genre, it is possible to "guess" his or her political leanings and then deliver messages accordingly. A Kuomintang legislator asked "what type of film is Taiwanese?" and ridicules such as "A film national team" appeared on the Internet.

In 2024, Shen Boyang talked on Facebook about the risks of using a Chinese-backed VPN to watch adult videos. (Extracted from Shen Boyang’s Facebook)

Similar tactics have also appeared in disputes involving "high-risk groups". Shen Boyang advocated that legislators, village chiefs or professors who have frequent contact with the Chinese party, government and military should have risk standards and reporting mechanisms. His use of vague words such as "control from the beginning" is indeed worthy of criticism; but the opposition party then expanded it to monitor hundreds of thousands of people, and even insinuated that people who did not vote for Lai Qingde may be placed under control.

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In addition to verbal attacks, there are also real physical injuries. On May 17 of the same year, when the Legislative Yuan was reviewing the legislative amendments to the powers of Congress, Shen Boyang tried to break through the blue committee wall and enter the rostrum. During the fierce pushing, he was pulled, punched and pushed down from a high place. His head fell heavily and he was sent to the hospital for examination. He was diagnosed with a concussion. Although conflicts in debates have their own offensive and defensive backgrounds, no matter how fierce the political confrontation is, those with different stances should not be subjected to potentially fatal violence.

The treatment received by Black Bear Academy was equally typical. A civil defense organization that teaches first aid, evacuation, disaster response, and information reading has long been called a militia, a black shirt, and has even been insinuated to advocate lynching. The New Party congressman also released an internal recording, condensing Shen Boyang's statement that China's military exercises raised awareness of civil defense and stimulated corporate donations into "Chinese missiles will help us", and then accused him of profiting from war.

Chinese state media compared him to the Nazis and the Gestapo, and he was listed as a "Taiwan independence die-hard" by the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council. Later, sanctions were extended to his father's company, and the Chongqing police opened a case for "secession." CCTV threatened a global arrest. Finally, even satellite images of his so-called home and workplace were made public.

In early 2026, Chinese state media and social groups continued to spread satellite photos of Shen Boyang’s residence and work place in Taipei. (Extracted from Facebook)

What is intriguing is that after the pro-China Hong Kong media "founded" Shen's China trade, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council immediately imposed sanctions, and the Kuomintang held press conferences one after another, coining labels such as "China's Red Bear" and "Making Red Money." This is not enough to prove that both parties received the same command, but it formed a clear material relay and narrative resonance.

Of course, the boundaries of rights for overseas funds, disaster prevention commodity prices, and high-risk management should all be subject to supervision. The question is whether the criticism is to check the facts and discuss the system, or to delete qualifiers and abstract the context to make Shen Boyang an porn expert, a surveillance maniac, an American spy, a warmonger and a Taiwan independence criminal.

Today's "Ocean Current" already has its own political conditions and support base. From porn to Ocean Current, it is not only Shen Boyang's personal fantasy journey, but also reflects the deep dilemma of Taiwan's democratic defense.

From porn movies to ocean currents, it is not just Shen Boyang's personal fantasy journey, it actually reflects the deep dilemma of Taiwan's democratic defense. (File photo)

(The author is a political worker)