section_path: Personal life/Politics
section_name: Politics
paragraph_text: Politics
  
  Due to her waishengren, deep-Blue family background, marriages to a mainland Chinese and a South Korean, and her general outspokenness on public affairs, Hsu sometimes found herself caught between opposing political currents, particularly in her later years amid worsening cross-strait relations.
  
  My ancestral home is Shandong, but I also love Taiwan. Now that I'm married and living in Beijing, I don't see the need to draw lines. Whether or not the two sides of the strait are unified, I choose to treat both with love.
  
  Hsu, along with her family, was a high-profile supporter of the Kuomintang (KMT), particularly of Ma Ying-jeou during the 2000s and early 2010s, though Hsu's political advocacy became subdued during her relationship with Lan Cheng-lung, whose family is affiliated with the pan-Green camp. In August 2013, however, Hsu expressed support for the protesters on Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office under the Ma administration following the death of Hung Chung-chiu, an army corporal who died from abuse in the military. In June 2021, Hsu posted on Instagram, “We are being massacred! Tsai! Massacring us,” a statement interpreted as blaming Taiwan's COVID-19 vaccine shortage on the Tsai Ing-wen administration, which at the time refused to import vaccines produced in mainland China and accused Beijing of sabotaging its efforts to procure vaccines from international manufacturers.
  
  Hsu occasionally commented on events in mainland China—a notable act for a Taiwanese celebrity, given the more limited freedom of speech and potential penalties for deviating from the party line. In 2011, she criticized the Chinese government's handling of the Wenzhou train collision in a Weibo post, writing: “One incident revealed so much: the selflessness of the rescuers, the greatness of the blood donors, the courage of the survivors. On the other hand—who disregarded human life? Who chased quick gains? Who shirked responsibility? The public is angry, heartbroken, and demanding answers. We seek the truth—and even more, we hope those in power will wake up.” In 2018, in a repost from PETA Asia on Weibo, Hsu drew attention with her language to urge the Hangzhou government to halt alleged public killings of stray dogs as part of a crackdown campaign. She wrote: “All living beings are equal, and everything has a soul. To me, killing a dog is no different from killing a person. There are many peaceful ways to manage stray animals. I urge the authorities to act with compassion—good deeds bring good results.” She faced backlash for allegedly spreading misinformation after the Hangzhou government clarified that the campaign targeted irresponsible dog owners rather than the animals themselves and denied accusations of abuse. Weibo, whose major shareholder Alibaba Group is headquartered in Hangzhou, later flagged her post with an official explanation, deleted the original PETA post and banned related hashtags about Hangzhou's dog-control campaign.
  
  After the South China Sea arbitration ruling invalidated China's “ nine-dash line ” claims in 2016, the Chinese government increasingly sought to co-opt celebrities into promoting party-line messaging on social media, often exerting significant pressure on Taiwanese entertainers regarding issues such as cross-strait unification. Barbie and Dee were among the few Taiwanese celebrities known in mainland China yet refrained from participating in politically motivated repost campaigns on Weibo. In August 2021, nevertheless, Barbie endorsed a Weibo statement by Dee clarifying that she did not support Taiwanese independence after Dee was involved in a Chinese nationalist trolling controversy. China's Taiwan Affairs Office later defended Dee during a press conference, a rare intervention that stood out amid frequent online “ struggle sessions ” targeting Taiwanese celebrities over perceived political deviations—such as Ouyang Nana and Christine Fan —and, along with further support from Chinese state media, was interpreted as Beijing's official acknowledgment of the Hsu family as key figures in united front outreach, owing to their longstanding deep-Blue, pro-unification stance.
  
  Hsu's tumultuous marriage to Wang Xiaofei, one of the most high-profile cross-strait marriages, has at times been viewed as a barometer of cross-strait relations or a vehicle for competing political narratives from both sides. In 2011, following their wedding, Taiwan's pan-Blue, pro-Beijing Want Daily hailed their marriage as a milestone reshaping cross-strait marriage narratives, challenging stereotypes of economically disadvantaged mainland brides marrying into Taiwan, where discrimination against cross-strait marriages prevailed, and promoting greater equality amid China's economic rise. During their marriage, Wang became a frequent presence at cross-strait communication events and forums, often held with the official backing of the Chinese government. In 2021, following their divorce, China's nationalist tabloid Global Times commented that the couple's breakup reflected the “the unscrupulousness of the DPP authorities,” echoing Wang's criticism of Taiwan's economy and COVID-19 policies, while also noting a broader decline in cross-strait marriages, which is attributed to Taiwan's discrimination against mainland spouses and China's economic ascent. Wang's mother, on the other hand, portrayed Hsu's reluctance to relocate to or visit Beijing with their children as evidence of pro-Taiwan independence sentiment. Due to the politicized scrutiny of their relationship, various commentators have described their breakup as a casualty of cross-strait tensions. Hsu's second marriage to Koo Jun-yup was less politicized than her first marriage. However, during Koo's first public interview after the marriage on the Korean television program You Quiz on the Block in 2022, he notably referred to Taiwan as “Taiwan, China.”
  
  Throughout her career, Hsu was considered a persona non grata among Taiwan's pro-independence pan-Green Coalition, which, in addition to her public support for the KMT, criticized her for allegedly showing insensitivity toward and stigmatizing local Taiwanese culture, thereby undermining Taiwan's self-identity; for marrying Beijing businessman Wang Xiaofei, an outspoken supporter of cross-strait unification; and for the couple's donation of face masks to Wuhan during the COVID-19 pandemic. After Hsu's death, some pan-Green-affiliated influencers expressed schadenfreude or circulated conspiracy theories about the circumstances surrounding it.
  
  Due to her waishengren, deep-Blue family background, marriages to a mainland Chinese and a South Korean, and her general outspokenness on public affairs, Hsu sometimes found herself caught between opposing political currents, particularly in her later years amid worsening cross-strait relations.
  
  My ancestral home is Shandong, but I also love Taiwan. Now that I'm married and living in Beijing, I don't see the need to draw lines. Whether or not the two sides of the strait are unified, I choose to treat both with love.
  
  Hsu, along with her family, was a high-profile supporter of the Kuomintang (KMT), particularly of Ma Ying-jeou during the 2000s and early 2010s, though Hsu's political advocacy became subdued during her relationship with Lan Cheng-lung, whose family is affiliated with the pan-Green camp. In August 2013, however, Hsu expressed support for the protesters on Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office under the Ma administration following the death of Hung Chung-chiu, an army corporal who died from abuse in the military. In June 2021, Hsu posted on Instagram, “We are being massacred! Tsai! Massacring us,” a statement interpreted as blaming Taiwan's COVID-19 vaccine shortage on the Tsai Ing-wen administration, which at the time refused to import vaccines produced in mainland China and accused Beijing of sabotaging its efforts to procure vaccines from international manufacturers.
  
  Hsu occasionally commented on events in mainland China—a notable act for a Taiwanese celebrity, given the more limited freedom of speech and potential penalties for deviating from the party line. In 2011, she criticized the Chinese government's handling of the Wenzhou train collision in a Weibo post, writing: “One incident revealed so much: the selflessness of the rescuers, the greatness of the blood donors, the courage of the survivors. On the other hand—who disregarded human life? Who chased quick gains? Who shirked responsibility? The public is angry, heartbroken, and demanding answers. We seek the truth—and even more, we hope those in power will wake up.” In 2018, in a repost from PETA Asia on Weibo, Hsu drew attention with her language to urge the Hangzhou government to halt alleged public killings of stray dogs as part of a crackdown campaign. She wrote: “All living beings are equal, and everything has a soul. To me, killing a dog is no different from killing a person. There are many peaceful ways to manage stray animals. I urge the authorities to act with compassion—good deeds bring good results.” She faced backlash for allegedly spreading misinformation after the Hangzhou government clarified that the campaign targeted irresponsible dog owners rather than the animals themselves and denied accusations of abuse. Weibo, whose major shareholder Alibaba Group is headquartered in Hangzhou, later flagged her post with an official explanation, deleted the original PETA post and banned related hashtags about Hangzhou's dog-control campaign.
  
  After the South China Sea arbitration ruling invalidated China's “ nine-dash line ” claims in 2016, the Chinese government increasingly sought to co-opt celebrities into promoting party-line messaging on social media, often exerting significant pressure on Taiwanese entertainers regarding issues such as cross-strait unification. Barbie and Dee were among the few Taiwanese celebrities known in mainland China yet refrained from participating in politically motivated repost campaigns on Weibo. In August 2021, nevertheless, Barbie endorsed a Weibo statement by Dee clarifying that she did not support Taiwanese independence after Dee was involved in a Chinese nationalist trolling controversy. China's Taiwan Affairs Office later defended Dee during a press conference, a rare intervention that stood out amid frequent online “ struggle sessions ” targeting Taiwanese celebrities over perceived political deviations—such as Ouyang Nana and Christine Fan —and, along with further support from Chinese state media, was interpreted as Beijing's official acknowledgment of the Hsu family as key figures in united front outreach, owing to their longstanding deep-Blue, pro-unification stance.
  
  Hsu's tumultuous marriage to Wang Xiaofei, one of the most high-profile cross-strait marriages, has at times been viewed as a barometer of cross-strait relations or a vehicle for competing political narratives from both sides. In 2011, following their wedding, Taiwan's pan-Blue, pro-Beijing Want Daily hailed their marriage as a milestone reshaping cross-strait marriage narratives, challenging stereotypes of economically disadvantaged mainland brides marrying into Taiwan, where discrimination against cross-strait marriages prevailed, and promoting greater equality amid China's economic rise. During their marriage, Wang became a frequent presence at cross-strait communication events and forums, often held with the official backing of the Chinese government. In 2021, following their divorce, China's nationalist tabloid Global Times commented that the couple's breakup reflected the “the unscrupulousness of the DPP authorities,” echoing Wang's criticism of Taiwan's economy and COVID-19 policies, while also noting a broader decline in cross-strait marriages, which is attributed to Taiwan's discrimination against mainland spouses and China's economic ascent. Wang's mother, on the other hand, portrayed Hsu's reluctance to relocate to or visit Beijing with their children as evidence of pro-Taiwan independence sentiment. Due to the politicized scrutiny of their relationship, various commentators have described their breakup as a casualty of cross-strait tensions. Hsu's second marriage to Koo Jun-yup was less politicized than her first marriage. However, during Koo's first public interview after the marriage on the Korean television program You Quiz on the Block in 2022, he notably referred to Taiwan as “Taiwan, China.”
  
  Throughout her career, Hsu was considered a persona non grata among Taiwan's pro-independence pan-Green Coalition, which, in addition to her public support for the KMT, criticized her for allegedly showing insensitivity toward and stigmatizing local Taiwanese culture, thereby undermining Taiwan's self-identity; for marrying Beijing businessman Wang Xiaofei, an outspoken supporter of cross-strait unification; and for the couple's donation of face masks to Wuhan during the COVID-19 pandemic. After Hsu's death, some pan-Green-affiliated influencers expressed schadenfreude or circulated conspiracy theories about the circumstances surrounding it.