TAIPEI, May 10 — Taiwan’s Council of Indigenous Peoples has sharply rebuked former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislator and National Dong Hwa University professor Yosi Takun for remarks made at a recent academic exchange event in China, accusing him of echoing slogans aligned with Beijing’s “united front” efforts to rewrite the cultural identity of Taiwan’s Indigenous peoples.
At an event hosted by Yunnan Minzu University and organized by the Yunnan Provincial Government’s Taiwan Affairs Office, a banner reading, “Both sides of the Strait share the same ancestry, Zhonghua spirit, and are one big family” was prominently displayed.
Yosi, attending as a guest, referred to minority cultures as an “important part of Chinese civilization.” The Council condemned the statement, asserting that such rhetoric undermines the distinct heritage of Taiwan’s Indigenous communities.
“Taiwan’s Indigenous peoples are not descendants of the Yellow Emperor,” the Council declared in a statement, reiterating that these groups are culturally and linguistically part of the Austronesian family and not linked to the Sino-Tibetan linguistic or ethnic heritage. The Council stressed that all exchanges with China must be founded on mutual respect and equality, and not used to push political narratives.
Experts echoed the Council’s concerns, identifying the event as an extension of Beijing’s broader campaign to fold Taiwan’s Indigenous groups into its ethnic minority framework.
“The banner made no sense and was a blatant ‘united front’ move,” said Hung Ching-fu, political science professor at National Cheng Kung University. According to Hung, the messaging was a calculated attempt by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to blur Taiwan’s cultural distinctions and project a shared Chinese ancestry.
Linguists also pushed back, pointing to overwhelming evidence that Taiwan’s Indigenous languages share deep roots with the Austronesian linguistic family, which spans parts of Southeast Asia and the Pacific, and bear no connection to the Sino-Tibetan languages of China. This distinction, they argue, underscores a unique identity that China’s framing deliberately obscures.
A source familiar with the event, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that several delegations from Taiwan’s Indigenous community and representatives of the Taiwan-Yunnan Association had been invited, raising concerns about efforts to influence Indigenous youth.
The Council warned that such exchanges might be used to attract Indigenous students to Yunnan Minzu University, potentially exposing them to narratives that conflict with their true cultural roots.
Further scrutiny has also been directed at Yosi Takun’s academic appointment.
Hung questioned whether his role as a visiting professor at the Chinese university is compensated and suggested the Ministry of Education and national security agencies should review the legality of his appointment.
In response to the backlash, Yosi defended his participation, telling the Taipei Times that his goal was to promote academic dialogue and cultural exchange.
“Such interactions can help the next generation build mutual understanding and explore new paths for innovation,” he said.
Still, the Council remained firm. “Indigenous peoples are not a political tool,” it said, urging vigilance against efforts to politicize cultural identity under the guise of academic or cultural outreach.
