On October 25, Kevin Tsai responded on Weibo to the recent controversy sparked by his attendance at a Shen Boyang event, saying that he has always hoped for friendly relations across the Taiwan Strait and has never supported Taiwan independence, and that he merely went to the event venue to experience and observe it. He said he understands the criticism and apologized to the collaborating parties.
On October 25, Taipei mayoral candidate Chiang Wan-an responded to Kevin Tsai's Weibo post by saying he does not accept anti-democratic threats; another candidate, Puma Shen, said that the freedom of the Taiwanese people should not be interfered with by China, viewing this as a sign of Chinese intervention in the Taiwanese people's self-determination.
On October 25, Kevin Tsai stated on Weibo that he had never supported Taiwan independence, thanked his mainland supporters, and bid them farewell, subsequently losing contact with his mainland fans.
According to a post by X user @QuanLujun, well-known Taiwanese host Kevin Tsai has deleted the contact information of his mainland agent, formally bidding farewell to the mainland market. The poster praised this move, saying that although he has lost the mainland market, he has won people's hearts.
On October 15, Kevin Tsai posted on Threads, confirming that he will attend the launch rally of the campaign headquarters of Kuomintang Taipei mayoral candidate Chiang Wan-an on October 26. He declined an invitation to go on stage and sing the campaign theme song, saying he will cheer from the audience as a guest.
On October 14, Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Chen Binhua responded to Kevin Tsai's attendance at Puma Shen's campaign event, saying that it respects and safeguards Taiwan compatriots' "legitimate" freedom of speech, but warned that no one can cash in on mainland dividends while colluding with "Taiwan independence" and being "two-faced."
On October 14, China Literature and Art Net, part of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles system, published a commentary rejecting Kevin Tsai's explanation that he had just come "to see for myself" when attending Puma Shen's campaign event, saying there is no middle ground in the face of major issues of principle, demanding that literary and art workers first take a firm Chinese stance, and listing Nicky Wu as a positive contrast.
Around October 14, Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Chen Binhua responded to Kevin Tsai's attendance at Puma Shen's campaign event, saying that the legitimate freedom of expression of Taiwan compatriots is protected, but stressing that there is no room for ambiguity on matters of right and wrong, and warning that no one can reap the benefits of the mainland while colluding with “Taiwan independence” forces.
From October 11, 2026, Taiwan entertainer Kevin Tsai triggered widespread discussion and controversy on social media platforms after appearing at politically related events and making statements. Some public opinion criticized his stance and political endorsements, calling him a "two-faced" figure and attacking him for tearing apart the narrative of cross-strait integration; other views focused on his subsequent responses, discussing the impact of his statements on the stance vetting of cross-strait entertainers and the pressure to make political declarations.
On October 10, the WeChat public account "Zhejiang Xuanchuan," run by the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee's Publicity Department, published an article criticizing Kevin Tsai for staying silent and avoiding taking a stand when the public needs one, saying that a person's works cannot be separated from their character, and stated in the comments section that it wanted to warn a whole crowd of fence-sitters that no ambiguity is tolerated on the question of where one stands.
On October 8, Taiwanese media reported that, as the incident of Kevin Tsai appearing at Puma Shen's campaign headquarters developed, the National Police Agency asked the Taipei City Police Department to keep track of his residence situation, establish a direct liaison channel, and deploy security maintenance according to the circumstances, stressing that no one should be threatened because of their political stance.
An account under the PLA Daily and Beijing state media successively published articles criticizing Kevin Tsai, urging mainland brands to proactively conduct self-inspections and distance themselves from him.
Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an publicly addressed mainland China, asking it to respect the realities of Taiwanese society, not to treat Kevin Tsai differently, and saying he supports and respects Kevin Tsai in voicing any position.此前 Kevin Tsai appeared in support of Puma Shen, triggering a backlash in mainland public opinion, and brands such as Leapmotor have already cut ties with him.
After Kevin Tsai was publicly called out by state media, his social media account with over 36 million followers was emptied and all of his posts were deleted. The account's IP location showed Japan, and he himself issued no statement. Commentators in Taiwan criticized him for playing both sides of the strait to reap profits.
Hu Xijin, former editor-in-chief of Global Times, commented side by side on Wu Qilong's statement and Kevin Tsai's support for Puma Shen, saying that Kevin Tsai's choice is suicide in the Chinese market and a "phoenix nirvana" in Taiwan, and lamenting that this is the crossroads of the times, and also the crossroads for Taiwanese entertainers.