Weibo removes top trending ‘Taiwan election’ hashtag

Chinese social media platform Weibo has removed the hashtag “Taiwan election” (#台灣大選) after it started gaining significant traction and has become one of the top trending topics on the platform.

A check by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE saw on Weibo that a notice stated that the related contempt was not shown according to related laws and policies. “In accordance with relevant laws, regulations and policies, the content of this topic is not displayed," the notice reads.

Moreover, topics related to the Taiwan election such as “Taiwan election” (台灣選舉) and “Taiwanese presidential election” (台灣總統大選) are blocked. Meanwhile, Chinese news platforms such as Xinhua, CCTV and Phoenix TV, have limitated news reports about the poll and the election results. 

According to news agency AFP, the hashtag “Taiwan election” was one of the highest trending topics on Weibo after polls opened at 8 am across Taiwan last Saturday (13 January), with post views recorded up to 136.2 million. Meanwhile, the hashtag was removed by mid-morning. 

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Weibo for a statement. 

On Saturday, William Lai Ching Te from Democratic Progressive Party, won the Taiwanese presidential election amidst the escalating tensions between Beijing and Washington in the South China Sea.

The election has been treated as the first major global geopolitical watershed of 2024. Lai is currently Taiwan’s vice-president and the result of the election marks the third successive time in power for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which is seen as an obstacle by Beijing for its insistence upon Taiwan's sovereign rights and its close relations with the U.S., Europe and other democratic forces.

(Photo courtesy: Taiwan's president Lai Ching Te's Facebook)

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