Robert Tsao Hsing-cheng, the Taiwanese billionaire best known as the founder of chipmaker United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC), who was sanctioned by Beijing last year, has been caught up in a storm over an alleged extramarital affair with a mainland woman. During a social media live stream on Monday, Taiwanese commentator Hsieh Han-ping displayed photos he claimed were of Tsao and his mainland Chinese mistress taken in 2015. Hsieh, who is known for his links with Taiwan’s pro-Beijing main opposition Kuomintang, followed up with more such photos on Tuesday night. Tsao, 77, initially denied the allegations, and argued that images could be easily manipulated. However, in a statement on Wednesday he said: “So what if it’s true?” while accusing Hsieh of violating his privacy. The matter has sparked heated discussions on the island and drawn moral criticism from official media across the Taiwan Strait, where Tsao is known for his anti-Beijing political stance. “The people of Taiwan will [condemn] Tsao and this scandal will make everyone see clearly his twisted mindset of promoting ‘anti-China’ [sentiments],” the Strait Herald said in an editorial on Thursday. The Xiamen-based paper is affiliated to the official Fujian Daily, named after the Taiwan-facing southeastern mainland province. Tsao is on a list of “stubborn Taiwan independence figures” compiled by Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO), which handles cross-strait relations and policies. The list also includes Taiwan’s deputy leader Hsiao Bi-khim, defence chief Wellington Koo and security chief Joseph Wu – all members of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party. TAO said last October that the Kuma Academy, an organisation co-founded by DPP lawmaker Puma Shen and funded by Tsao, had “openly cultivated ‘violent Taiwan independence separatists’” and “actively engaged in separatist activities” under the cover of educational lectures, training and family events. Tsao and Shen were sanctioned by Beijing on those grounds. They were banned from entering mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, while companies associated with them were banned from profit-making activities on the mainland. In announcing the sanctions, TAO spokesman Chen Binhua accused Tsao of harbouring a “stubborn ‘Taiwan independence’ ideology”. In response, Tsao sued Chen and TAO director Song Tao for “intimidation” in a Taiwanese court last November. He has also vowed to sue Hsieh over his allegations, according to Taiwanese media. Tsao founded UMC, Taiwan’s second largest chipmaker, in 1980. Recent years have seen him change from an avid investor in mainland technology to an outspoken critic of Beijing. He has been vocal about alleged threats from the mainland, and pointed to the quelling of the 2019 anti-government protests in Hong Kong to vow that he would “never live to see Taiwan become another Hong Kong”. Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary. Most countries, including the United States, do not recognise self-governed Taiwan as an independent state. But Washington, Taipei’s main international backer and weapons supplier, is opposed to changing the status quo by force and is committed to arming it for defence. In 2022, Tsao donated US$100 million to support Taiwan’s civilian training programmes, with the aim of fostering “civilian warriors” through a combination of survival skills, military training, and counter-surveillance and technology courses. These included the Kuma Academy, which he said at the time would train 3 million civilians in three years. Tsao has also sponsored a TV series about a fictional People’s Liberation Army attack on Taiwan, which is expected to air this year.