Former CCTV presenter critical of Xi seeks temporary asylum in Taiwan

2026-11-04

Another Chinese exile has come to Taiwan to seek refuge. This time its Cheng Wanjun, who previously worked as a talk show presenter on China’s state television channel CCTV. He previously served six years in prison in China, after he was reported for saying that Chinese leader Xi Jinping would be China’s downfall. Cheng initially moved to Thailand. But after Chin’s demands to Thailand to repatriate dissidents, he flew to Taiwan to seek temporary asylum. Let’s hear more.

Cheng Wanjun
Former CCTV host seeking asylum
Hello everyone. I am Cheng Wanjun. I am now at Taipei’s Taoyuan Airport, publicly appealing for help. I myself spent six years in prison. To avoid being politically persecuted by the CCP a second time, I have had to move to Taiwan to seek short-term humanitarian protection, so that for the rest of my life I can keep writing and speak freely and do my part to end, as soon as possible, the man-made disaster of dictatorship in China.

Chuang Jui-hsiung
DPP legislative caucus
China is a country severely lacking human rights. From a humanitarian standpoint, and from the standpoint of human rights, he deserves better treatment.

Chang Hung-lu
Legislator (DPP)
We don’t have any laws that can be applied to his situation. We only have the Cross-Strait Act. So, I think referring him to a third country would be the best solution. If he goes to a friendly third country, he’ll be able to travel all over the world in the future, while his personal safety is guaranteed.

Cheng is 58-year-old, and was released from prison in 2025. However, after publishing works he had written behind bars, he was forced into exile overseas. After arriving in Thailand, he feared being deported and recently sought help from the United Nations, but his request was rejected. He then made the decisive move to fly to Taiwan, hoping to obtain temporary political asylum and assistance with resettlement in a third country. Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council has said it could not verify the evidence supporting his claims, and noted that he was still able to freely enter and leave China. Under existing procedures, the government can therefore only send Cheng back to Thailand.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#refuge #humanitarian #ccp #taiwan #thailand

前央視主持人"跳機"求台庇護陸委會:僅能依規送返泰

2026-11-04

又有中國流亡人士現身台灣，前央視主持人程萬鈞，因為批評習近平是"亡國之君"遭檢舉、判刑長達6年，出獄後抵達泰國，但中國近年來積極向泰國要求要將中國異議人士遣返、因此他搭機來台、尋求短期政治庇護。

[[前央視節目主持人程萬鈞]]
“大家好，我是程萬鈞，現在在台北桃園機場，公開發聲求援。本人也經歷了長達六年牢獄之災，為了免遭中共當局二次政治迫害，不得不轉移台灣，尋求短期的人道保護，以便我在餘生能夠繼續創作，自由發聲，為早日終結世界公害，中國的專制人禍。”

[[民進黨立院黨團幹事長莊瑞雄]]
“在中國這是一個極度沒有人權的一個國家。站在整個人道的立場，站在人權的立場，確實應該提供給他更好的處遇。”

[[立委(民) 張宏陸]]
“我們現在並沒有相關的法律，我們只有兩岸人民關係條例，所以在這樣的情況之下，我認為轉介到友好的第三國，我覺得是一個最好的一個方式，他到友好的第三國，他未來他也可以自由行走到全世界，然後人身也可以受到保障。”

今年58歲的程萬鈞2025年刑滿出獄後，為了發表在獄中作品、被迫流亡海外。不過他到泰國後，因為擔心被遣返，日前向聯合國求助、遭打回、因此毅然決然搭機飛往台灣、希望尋求短期政治庇護、協助他到第三國安置。但陸委會聲明，因為無法核實相關事證、且他還能自由出入中國，因此目前僅能依既有機制、將程萬軍"送返泰國"。

更多新聞內容，請鎖定：
民視台灣台（152頻道）週一至週五晚上9:30
民視新聞台（53頻道）週二至週六凌晨1:00

Man caught with turtles in his pants, marmot taped to body

A shocking smuggling attempt was uncovered at in Kinmen. A man arriving from China by ferry was caught with eight protected turtles and a live marmot secretly strapped to his body. The turtles were wrapped tightly in pantyhoses and attached to the man’s groin area, while the marmot was drugged asleep and taped to his body in a package.

A man with a big duffle bag and a satchel is escorted by Coast Guard officials for a searched. He’s smuggling something, but that something is not in his bags. It’s on his body.

A black package was found in his groin. After ripping off layer upon layer of packaging, officers found eight turtles tightly wrapped in stockings. They were all endangered black-breasted leaf turtles, a Class II protected species in China.

Smugglers stood to make a tidy profit from the turtles, which can be purchased for just NT$200 in China and sold in the black market in Taiwan for as much as NT$30,000. If the sellers manage to pass them off as rare Japanese ground tortoises, which look similar, they can each fetch more than NT$75,000.

And it didn’t stop there. The man also had a white package taped to his body. Officials removed it and opened it up to reveal a 30cm marmot. The mammal had been drugged asleep and later tied to the smuggler’s body. Fortunately, it was discovered just in time.

Kuo Hui-chen
Coast Guard Administration Spokesperson
There has recently been a string of cases of travelers smuggling live animals to Kinmen. The suspect in the latest case was a man surnamed Chiu, who arrived from Quanzhou in China. The case has been referred to the Kinmen District Prosecutors office for investigation for violations of the Act on Wildlife Conservation and the Act on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Animal Diseases.

The smuggler is 55-year-old Mr. Chiu, with household registration in Kaohsiung. He tried to smuggle animals from China into Taiwan via Kinmen, harming the animals and potentially bringing in foreign diseases. The Coast Guard Administration urges the public to not buy animals of unknown origin. That’s especially the case of marmots, which can carry the pneumonic plague, which has a mortality rate of almost 100%.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#bizarre #busted #smuggling #pantyhose #marmot

2026-11-04

Is Mayor Chiang copying Shen’s newsletter idea?

Running for Taipei Mayor, DPP’s Puma Shen will publish the third issue of his newsletter next week. The new issue will be edited by well-known astrologer, Jesse Tang, and include horoscope predictions. However, running against him, Mayor Chiang Wan-an, also released a new publication called, “Wan-an Alarm.” Does the alarm mean he wants citizens to brace themselves? Many seem to be accusing him of plagiarizing Shen, to which KMT Lawmaker Lo Chih-chiang fired back saying, “Is breathing also plagiarism?”

Arriving at the Legislative Yuan, the DPP’s candidate for Taipei Mayor, Puma Shen is wearing a tie. He is invited to a fashion and beauty event on Wednesday, which explains his outfit switch up.

Puma Shen
Taipei Mayoral Candidate (DPP)
This is a program that is focused on dressing well, but I honestly don’t know how to be stylish like that, so I just wore a tie so it looks a bit more formal.

Shen has become a huge source for online traffic causing programs to rush to interview him. As his campaign grows steadily, he plans to publish the third issue of his campaign newsletter next week. At the same time, his opponent, Mayor Chiang also released a brochure, “Wan-an Alarm,” which details a policy comparison with Shen. He came under fire for plagiarizing this.

Puma Shen
Taipei Mayoral Candidate (DPP)
Normally, when you hear an alarm, you should hide. So I think the name is quite interesting.

Lo Chih-Chiang
Legislator (KMT)
I am currently plagiarizing Puma Shen. Why? Because I am breathing. I am wearing glasses so I am also copying him. I am wearing a suit jacket so this is also plagiarism. I am wearing shoes which are also plagiarizing him. Is having longer hair also plagiarizing him? Puma Shen is really the center of the universe; I offer you my worship and respect.

Rosalia Wu
Legislator (DPP)
I heard they printed a million copies, wow! What a huge accomplishment. I’m also a Taipei citizen, I will go home today and check my mailbox to see if I received a “Wan-an Alarm” newsletter. Once I see the contents, I can share my thoughts.

Since she hadn’t seen Mayor Chiang’s new publication, a reporter on-site provided a new copy of the “Wan-an Alarm,” for Rosalia Wu to see.

Rosalia Wu
Legislator (DPP)
There are so many photos of Mayor Chiang. You can count it too, how many are there? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, there are 9 photos of Mayor Chiang.

Comparing the campaign newsletters, one is more like a newspaper with 6 pages, the other is more of a single-sheet flyer. Whether citizens opt for the blue or green product, remains a small indicator of the election result.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#dpp #kmt #newsletter #萬安警報 #chiangwanan #pumashen

2026-11-04

Former CCTV presenter critical of Xi seeks temporary asylum in Taiwan