Diplomatic Bullying: Sanlih's Nationalist Campaign Against Singapore PM's Wife Ho Ching over 'Errr' Post

In April 2020, during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Taiwanese government launched its 'Mask Diplomacy' campaign, announcing mask donations to Singapore and other nations. Singapore's Prime Minister's wife, Ho Ching, shared the news on Facebook with a single-word comment: 'Errrr...'. This post was immediately seized upon by pro-ruling-party Sanlih TV and its talk shows, which sensationalized it as a 'snub and display of contempt' toward Taiwan's benevolence. Sanlih actively incited and coordinated green internet trolls and nationalist users to launch a massive cyberbullying campaign. Tens of thousands of users swarmed Ho Ching's Facebook page, spamming insults and personal attacks, while Sanlih's shows broadcasted unverified conspiracy theories (e.g., alleging she blamed 'President Tsai's internet army' for ruining relations). The fanatical online campaign triggered a severe diplomatic friction, nearly destroying the long-standing bilateral alliance. The Minister of Health Chen Shih-chung and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were forced to step in to urge restraint. The scandal exposed Sanlih's systemic abuse of public airwaves to stoke toxic nationalism and cyberbullying for political leverage, severely damaging Taiwan's international standing.