Taiwan actress wins Chinese court case against Taiwan independence description

TAIPEI, Dec 7, 2019, Taiwan News. In an unprecedented occurrence, a Taiwanese entertainer won a court case in China against a Chinese netizen who had repeatedly described her online as a Taiwan independence supporter, Taiwan News reported.

Supporters of the Chinese government’s claims over Taiwan have often been quick to launch online attacks against Taiwanese entertainers they suspect of backing the island’s sovereignty, but those accusations usually result in the singers or actors losing job opportunities and contracts in China and their songs or films being banned.

However, in the case of Ruby Lin (林心如), a court in Beijing ruled that the netizen accusing her of backing Taiwanese independence should pay her CNY60,000 (NT$260,000, US$8,500) in compensation, CNA reported Friday (Dec. 6). The payment must be made within 10 days of the verdict.

From 2016 to 2017, the accused, surnamed Huang (黃), posted more than 100 attacks against Lin online, including some describing her as a Taiwanese independence supporter. Lin’s attorneys in Beijing argued that the attacks went far beyond the mere voicing of opinions and were not based on facts.

CNA reported that Lin’s victory meant she was the first Taiwanese citizen to be “certified” by a Beijing court as not being a supporter of Taiwan independence.

The actress is no stranger to controversies over her political views, as she continued to support China after a TV show she had produced was canceled last year amid accusations of being pro-independence.