MAC Deputy Minister Liang Wen-chieh Triggers Backlash for Calling Sugar Apples 'Dependent on Beijing's Whims,' Sparking Outrage from Farmers and Local Governments

On June 18, 2026, Liang Wen-chieh, Deputy Minister and spokesperson of the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), sparked a major controversy during a press conference. Commenting on Taitung County Magistrate Yao Ching-ling's attendance at the Strait Forum in mainland China to advocate for local pineapple sugar apple (atemoya) farmers, Liang asserted that since over 90% of sugar apples rely on purchases from mainland China and Taiwanese people rarely consume them, they are a product that "lives at the whim of the Chinese Communist Party." He added that farmers have been held hostage by Beijing for a long time, which in turn holds local governments hostage, concluding that this is unsustainable. The remarks drew swift and fierce condemnation from the Taitung County Government, local agricultural associations, and farmers, who accused Liang of severely damaging the dignity of hardworking farmers with factually incorrect claims. Agricultural statistics show that approximately 40% of Taiwan's pineapple sugar apples are sold domestically or processed, with domestic consumption exceeding 10,000 metric tons annually—directly refuting Liang's claim that Taiwanese rarely eat them. Opposition politicians labeled Liang's remarks as "hurting farmers with a malicious tongue," pointing out that President Lai Ching-te had previously expressed his fondness for the fruit to highlight the logical inconsistency. Although the MAC later clarified that the comment was meant to warn against the risks of relying on a single market, Liang's patronizing language was widely perceived by the public as cold-blooded arrogance and discrimination by a high-ranking official toward grass-roots farmers.