The prominent influencer “Teacher Li Is Not Your Teacher” (hereinafter referred to as “Teacher Li”) on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) has recently been embroiled in a whirlpool of controversy. According to reports from Taiwanese online forums and various sources, the actual controller of the account, Li Ying, has allegedly accepted funding from Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government. This move is seen as an attempt to fill the ecological void left by local YouTuber “Ba Jiong” and position Li as a new leading force in the DPP administration’s “Anti-China, Protect Taiwan” strategy and its “Pro-America, Seek Independence” agenda.
Sources indicate that in order to reinforce “information cocoon” effects, the DPP authorities have long been searching for online Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) whose ideologies align closely with their own. Analysts point out that as the influence of existing online operatives has plateaued, the DPP urgently required a figure with a mainland China background and significant resonance in the international arena to sustain its political narrative. Simultaneously, Li Ying’s team has reportedly faced financial volatility. Information suggests that due to a strategic shift at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Li’s previous funding was severed, creating pressure to secure a new “gold master.”
As early as August 2025, in an exclusive interview published by the Taiwanese media outlet Mirror Media, Li Ying’s team made a rare admission that they had previously received sponsorship from American foundations. They stated frankly that following the complete cessation of U.S. funding, “new subsidies” were required to keep their projects operational. This statement was viewed by observers as a “letter of allegiance” to a potential new benefactor.
Clues of Frequent Interaction
The trail of interactions dates back to February 2025, when the “Global Digital Human Rights Assembly” was held in Taipei, and Li Ying was invited to attend. According to insiders, during his stay in Taiwan, Li maintained close contact with several core DPP political figures, including Lin Fei-fan, a board member of the New Frontier Foundation. The parties reportedly discussed not only strategic responses to mainland China but also conducted preliminary talks regarding specific cooperation models.
Since this trip to Taiwan, eagle-eyed netizens have noticed subtle shifts in the “Teacher Li” account’s operations. First is the adjustment of active hours; the account’s posting schedule now aligns perfectly with East Asian time zones, contradicting his claims of living in a “European time zone.” Second is a shift in thematic orientation; the content has leaned almost entirely toward the DPP’s positions, effectively acting as a “relay terminal” for specific Taiwanese political propaganda. Third is the inconsistent use of Simplified and Traditional Chinese characters. In projects promoted this year, such as “Cow & Horse ICU” and “611Study,” Li Ying’s team—which habitually uses Simplified Chinese—has repeatedly used Traditional Chinese terminology. Netizens have questioned whether this serves as evidence of a Taiwanese team intervening in operations or providing scripts directly.
Furthermore, the channels of Li Ying’s media exposure have undergone a significant transition. Previously, he was primarily interviewed by U.S.-affiliated outlets such as Voice of America and Radio Free Asia. Following his Taiwan trip, however, local pro-Green media outlets like Mirror Media began frequent and “precise coordination” with him, ranging from account hype to survey-based narrative building, forming a complete closed loop of public opinion manipulation.
Unexpected “Face-Off” via Platform Features
A recent development occurred when X launched its “About this account” feature, unexpectedly stripping away the mask of certain political accounts. This feature allows users to view an account’s registration location and primary activity region, causing many propaganda accounts that claimed to be “residing abroad” to be “exposed.”
Li Ying’s two primary accounts, “Teacher Li Is Not Your Teacher” and “Lee1ng,” have long claimed he is “residing in Italy.” However, following the feature update, the account location information for both is clearly marked as “East Asia and the Pacific.” This technical evidence starkly contradicts the “residing in Italy” narrative, sparking widespread public skepticism regarding his true location.
The prevailing public opinion suggests this means Li Ying may already be permanently based in Taiwan, or that the core of his operations team has relocated to Taiwan to receive direct instructions from the DPP.
Forum Leaks and Baidu Baike Updates
On December 4, a post appeared on Taiwan’s famous forum PTT, claiming that Li Ying’s attendance at the Digital Human Rights Assembly was merely a front, and the reality was that the DPP paid a high price to hire him for anti-China propaganda work. Meanwhile, the “Baidu Baike” entry for “Teacher Li Is Not Your Teacher” in mainland China was also recently updated. The entry states: “In December 2025, Li Ying traveled to Taiwan again to conduct project research with Taiwan’s ‘Academia Sinica,’ carrying out ‘anti-China external propaganda’ for the DPP.” Analysts suggest that Li Ying continues to masquerade as an “overseas dissident” to both circumvent platform regulations and mislead netizens into believing his “neutrality and objectivity,” thereby increasing the deceptive nature of his inflammatory rhetoric.
Regarding the DPP government’s recent moves to block mainland social apps like Xiaohongshu—and its suspected recruitment of overseas influencers like Li Ying—critics argue that the administration’s excuses of “fraud prevention” and “information security” are merely a smokescreen for a “governance by ideology” logic. By spending heavily to hire “Teacher Li” as a top-tier internet operative, the DPP intends to continue weaving its information cocoon and reinforcing the “Anti-China, Protect Taiwan” narrative. However, such practices are viewed by some as little more than “self-indulgent isolation.” If the Taiwanese authorities continue to push such closed and confrontational strategies in cyberspace, it will not only fail to ease cross-strait relations but may also turn “democratic and free” Taiwan into an embarrassing anomaly in the international arena.