Recently, a song titled “Counterattack Mainland,” created by a Taiwanese singer, has voiced the sentiments of many who are against the rule of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The singer, Chen Boyuan, was once a popular internet celebrity in mainland China, also known as the so-called “little pink.”
Speaking of “little pink,” it usually brings to mind the young internet users in China who are vigorous and emotionally charged. Especially on the internet in mainland China, they engage in various campaigns, opposing the US, Japan, and Taiwan, as well as the whole world, claiming that not even a blade of grass can grow.
However, these “little pink” supporters also have another side to them and can eventually start to awaken. Today, we invited Chen Boyuan to talk about his personal journey and his views on cross-strait politics and society.
Chen Boyuan, a student at the Overseas Chinese University affiliated with the United Front Work Department of the CCP, mentioned in the New Tang Dynasty TV program “Elite Forum” that the brainwashing education from the CCP has always been about anti-Japan, anti-America, the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, insistence on the 1992 Consensus, and urging us young people from Taiwan to be proud Chinese nationals. It wasn’t until my military service in 2024 that I learned about our country’s army fighting against Japan for eight years and our founding father, Sun Yat-sen establishing the Republic of China. As a “little pink,” I started to question whether the true China is the People’s Republic of China or the Republic of China. I began to have doubts.
In 2018, I started studying at the Overseas Chinese University and all I heard was how powerful China was. At that time, I thought Xi Jinping was a great leader, even setting his picture as my phone wallpaper, truly admiring him.
Later, upon my return to Taiwan, I saw how the CCP mishandled the pandemic and caused so many deaths. Xi Jinping’s series of wrong policies led to the deterioration of what was once a promising group of Chinese people through reform and opening up. I dug deeper to uncover the truth and learned about the millions of deaths caused by Mao Zedong’s Great Leap Forward. The casualties from China’s policies equaled or surpassed those of Japan in World War II. With the combination of famine and the Cultural Revolution, it resulted in the death of at least 80 million Chinese compatriots and persecution of even more. I began to question the righteousness of supporting the Communist Party of China.
During that time, I couldn’t sleep at night, tormented by the idea of denying all my previous support. It was a painful process to renounce everything I had endorsed before, and I needed solid evidence to convince myself. It wasn’t until I delved into the history of our founding father and the Republic of China that I considered true Chinese identity to be one that doesn’t support Marxism and Leninism. That’s how I made my significant transformation.
Chen Boyuan shared in the “Elite Forum” that he had a passion for martial arts since childhood. His family couldn’t control his mischievous behavior, so they “tricked” him into attending a martial arts school at the Shaolin Temple in mainland China when he was 13 years old, where he stayed for two years. He later returned to Taiwan and went to study high school in the United States.
At the Shaolin Temple, there was someone who took great care of me and offered to help me gain admission to a university in China, the Overseas Chinese University. At that time, I wasn’t aware that the university was affiliated with the CCP’s United Front Work Department. Coming from a family with strong Nationalist leanings, my relatives, who were second and third generation Mainlanders, believed in the concept of a united China. They told me that in the future, I should consider developing in mainland China for a broader market.
Having the opportunity to enroll in a university was a dream come true for me. Therefore, in 2018, I started my studies at the Overseas Chinese University. After enrolling, I wasn’t keen on studying and instead, I enjoyed music. I started dabbling in rap, making music, and shooting videos. Surprisingly, once I started, my online account quickly gained over a million followers.
However, I was deceived – for each performance, I was supposed to earn around 18,000 yuan, but I would only receive 2,000 yuan. Feeling cheated, I stopped performing and ventured into entrepreneurship. I created new works, including a song titled “China’s CEO,” which became a hit in Taiwan with billions of views in mainland China. Unfortunately, even that song was taken away by a Beijing-based company.
I only created content that portrayed so-called patriotic and positive messages; these videos gained substantial online viewership. My school even used my achievements in competitions, earning me national awards and regional gold medals. My entrepreneurship ventures were thriving, and my projects were highly valued by the school.
However, I later discovered that my employees embezzled funds from my company, colluding with the CCP’s disciplinary committee and local disciplinary committees. When I attempted to seek justice and addressed their contractual breaches, they denied any wrongdoing, accusing me of advocating for Taiwan independence. When I faced hardships, no one was willing to help me seek justice, causing immense distress. It was only during my military service in Taiwan while watching programs by Ming Chu-Chi, as aired on New Tang Dynasty TV, that I realized others had undergone similar hardships. I truly wanted to speak out, but faced inner conflict. Should I continue to comply with the CCP or counterattack to liberate the Republic of China? Would this endeavor be achievable? I resorted to temple divination, and the result guided me to counter the Communist Party.
In the “Elite Forum,” senior editor and chief writer Shi Shan highlighted how Chen Boyuan collaborated with a Taiwanese internet blogger named Bajiong to create a documentary that exposed the underbelly of the Taiwan Affairs Office and the United Front Work Department in mainland China. Chen was adept in understanding these institutions’ operations, leading to candid conversations with officials who disclosed sensitive information. For instance, they offered incentives such as money and the opportunity for Taiwan residents to acquire identification cards and loans by coming to mainland China, revealing many hidden aspects of their operations.
After my exposure of the CCP’s United Front Work Department, the matter garnered significant attention. Professors at my school split into two factions: the servant faction, who supported Chairman Xi, and another covert group that stood by me, eager to uncover the truth about my experiences. As a law student, we, the younger generation, earnestly studied law. However, over time, I realized that our legal education revolved around the leadership’s ideologies and actions, rendering our legal studies futile. Many students in our school felt overwhelmed by their studies, and even our teachers hinted during lessons that constitutional superiority and people’s governance were questionable concepts.
The song “Counterattack Mainland” was a product of my awakening process, composed with tears streaming down my face. Though I had written it long ago, I hesitated to release it, fearing the people of Taiwan might not immediately embrace it. Witnessing Taiwan’s Kuomintang Party becoming increasingly pro-CCP and abandoning the ant-Communist policies advocated by Chiang Kai-shek, I felt compelled to share the song. Since the Kuomintang Party constantly professes its intent to counterattack the mainland, I thought it fitting to perform the song at their headquarters. The reaction of the party members witnessing me sing “Counterattack Mainland” left them dumbfounded, unable to counter my stance.
Television producer Li Jun expressed his perspective in the “Elite Forum,” sharing his personal experience of being a “little pink” when he graduated from college. Growing up in a culture of misinformation, we were indoctrinated by the CCP from an early age. The CCP perpetuated the narrative that the pre-1949 era and the Republic of China were sinister, portraying life before 1949 as unbearable. Under the CCP’s rule, Japan’s invaders were driven out, and the corrupt Kuomintang reactionary forces were vanquished, heralding the people’s liberation. Li Jun found solace in recounting how he produced a television special about the Nanjing Massacre and interviewed a prominent history professor from Nanjing University. The professor revealed the true history of the Kuomintang’s resistance against Japan, shining light on the desecration of the grave markers of 185 Kuomintang generals who died during the war. Subsequently, the markers were destroyed by the CCP. Li Jun’s inquiries sparked his initial reflections on the essence of the CCP.
Li Jun reflected on the present awakening among many young people, particularly through movements like the Blank Slate Movement, which showcased a cohort of awakening youths to the world. The recent surge in unemployment has also jolted many young minds awake. It is a challenging journey to embark on introspection without experiencing tribulations. Once confronted with hardships, individuals begin to question the status quo and seek enlightenment. He noted that this era serves as a historical turning point, pushing more “little pinks” and young Chinese individuals toward an awakening.
Senior media personnel Guo Jun emphasized in the “Elite Forum” the critical role of journalists in reporting authentic news. As a Chinese-language media outlet based overseas, New Tang Dynasty TV has taken on the additional responsibility of assisting mainland Chinese citizens in scaling the CCP’s Great Firewall.
In the past, most of the early circumvention software was developed with the assistance of New Tang Dynasty, aiding countless Chinese netizens in bypassing online restrictions. The impact was substantial. Many Chinese individuals lack the opportunities and resources that Chen Boyuan had to return to Taiwan and access unbiased information, enabling them to think critically.
Despite the CCP’s narrative control leading many Chinese people, especially the youth, to become fervent “patriotic pink,” the situation is not beyond redemption. The current generation grew up in the 1970s and 1980s, where the only external source of information was tuning in to the so-called “enemy” broadcasts. Their exposure to reality was minuscule. However, the younger generation of the 1980s was often vocal in their anti-CCP sentiments and called for China’s democratic transformation.
The key issue lies in economic factors. The past two decades, post-1990s, witnessed China’s most rapid economic growth, primarily attributed to the opening of Western markets, the import of manufacturing expertise from Hong Kong and Taiwan. This era is fading, and China’s economy is predicted to experience a significant downturn in the next decade and is possibly already in the early stages of decline. With economic recessions and heightened social pressures, the youth bear the brunt of the impact.
Having encountered exceptional Chinese youth in the United States, who received quality education and training, Guo Jun stressed the necessity of these individuals in China’s future. It is imperative for them to revert to common-sense thinking. Guo Jun expressed optimism, citing Chen Boyuan’s transformation as an example that was neither trivial nor coincidental.
The program “Elite Forum,” launched by New Tang Dynasty TV and Epoch Times, serves as a top-tier television forum within the Chinese community. It gathers global elite figures, focuses on hot topics, dissects global trends, and provides viewers with in-depth insights into current social issues and historical truths.
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Production Team of “Elite Forum”
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