Taiwan Influencer Holger Chen Sparks Controversy Claiming ROC ID Is a Chinese ID

The archived footage features a viewer in the chatroom asking why Chen does not simply move to China and apply for a Chinese identity card given his vocal support for Beijing, according to Formosa TV and Yahoo News Taiwan. Chen immediately rejected the premise of needing to apply for separate documentation, stating on the broadcast, “I am in China right now, I am right here in China,” while prompting viewers in the chatroom to type out agreement.

Historical Arguments and Constitutional Claims on Cross-Strait Identity

According to reporting from TVBS and Formosa TV, Chen anchored his remarks in the Republic of China Constitution, arguing that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to a single China. He told his audience that Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu constitute existing territories under constitutional provisions that place the mainland and Taiwan under one overarching national framework.

“The ROC identity card I hold is a Chinese identity card,” Chen said during the livestream, as cited by Formosa TV. He added that the Republic of China was founded in Nanjing by Sun Yat-sen, maintaining that historical lineage links the population in Taiwan directly to mainland ancestry.

Formosa TV and SET News noted that Chen dismissed critics who questioned his assertions, questioning why individuals who admire the United States or Japan do not similarly relocate to obtain foreign citizenship instead of holding ROC documents.

Online Backlash and Public Reactions Across Social Media

The reappearance of the April 19 broadcast clip on Threads triggered sharp pushback from internet users, according to Yahoo News Taiwan and Formosa TV. Commenters questioned the consistency of Chen’s commentary regarding governance and sovereignty, with one user writing as reported by Formosa TV: “Chen is in China right now, then let me ask you, you said the DPP managed Taiwan very poorly, strangely enough, wasn’t China managed by Xi Jinping? It’s making my head spin.”

Other critics accused the influencer of twisting constitutional concepts to suit his commercial and political pivot toward the mainland market, according to summaries of online reactions published by Yahoo News Taiwan. Additional commenters mocked the refusal to renounce local documentation, with responses asserting that the public figure ultimately avoids taking formal steps to surrender his local status.