Weng Hsiao-ling alleges unfulfilled donation; Robert Tsao loses defamation appeal again
Legislator Weng Hsiao-ling accused former UMC Chairman Robert Tsao of failing to fulfill a NT$15 million donation to National Tsing Hua University. Tsao sued Weng for NT$40 million in damages, but lost in both the first and second instances of the trial.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 5, 2026 at 13:12
- 🔍 Collected: May 5, 2026 at 13:31 (19 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 5, 2026 at 14:56 (1h 24m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency, Reporter Liu Shih-yi, Taipei, May 5) Kuomintang Legislator Weng Hsiao-ling alleged that former UMC Chairman Robert Tsao promised to donate NT$15 million to National Tsing Hua University but failed to fulfill it. Tsao sued for over NT$40 million in damages, lost in the first instance, and appealed. The second instance court today ruled that the appeal was unfounded, upholding the previous ruling against Tsao. The case can still be appealed to a higher court.
Weng Hsiao-ling posted on Facebook around 2025, stating that in 1995, then-Tsing Hua University President Shen Chun-shan played a game of Go with Robert Tsao to raise funds for the university, agreeing that for every piece won, NT$10,000 would be donated. Shen Chun-shan initially thought it was NT$10,000 but later clarified it was US dollars. In the end, he won 50 pieces (US$500,000). She said, based on her understanding, Tsing Hua University has not yet received Tsao's donation.
Robert Tsao believed that Weng Hsiao-ling maliciously defamed him without reasonable verification and infringed upon his private life, filing a civil lawsuit against Weng Hsiao-ling for NT$40,987,736 and requesting the removal of the relevant statements. The Taipei District Court ruled against Tsao in the first instance. Tsao appealed, and the Taiwan High Court heard the second instance, today dismissing the appeal and again ruling against Tsao. The case can still be appealed.
According to the second instance news brief, Robert Tsao argued that Weng Hsiao-ling twice published statements on her personal Facebook on February 23, 2025, and March 3, 2025, fabricating his personal promise to donate NT$15 million to National Tsing Hua University. He claimed that this amount was actually raised by the school and UMC through a Go competition, and everyone knew this, yet she falsely accused him of lacking integrity. Another statement involved personal attacks, distortion of private photos, and out-of-context political positions.
The second instance collegial panel concluded that for the first statement, considering Robert Tsao is a public figure actively involved in public affairs, his integrity is subject to public comment. Weng Hsiao-ling's sharp commentary did not exceed the scope of reasonable commentary, did not constitute unlawfulness, and did not infringe on his right to reputation.
The second instance stated that the second statement was Weng Hsiao-ling's comment on Robert Tsao's controversial private photos and his public responses, and it was published after Tsao had first accused Weng Hsiao-ling and academic institutions of being involved in "CCP infiltration" and "united front" activities. It can be seen that the context was clearly defensive and retaliatory, making it difficult to deem that the sole purpose was to harm Robert Tsao's reputation.
Furthermore, Weng Hsiao-ling's evaluation was based on Robert Tsao's public statements and actions, the inconsistency of his claims regarding the authenticity of the photos, and the donation controversy. This falls under the expression of opinions on matters subject to public comment. Even if the language was sharp, it should still be protected by freedom of speech. The photo controversy had already been reported by the media and involved the integrity and consistency of words and deeds of a public figure, possessing a high degree of public interest, not purely belonging to the private sphere. Weng Hsiao-ling's evaluation of Robert Tsao's personality traits and suitability for important positions based on this was considered reasonable commentary.
The second instance mentioned that Robert Tsao first accused Weng Hsiao-ling with strong political language, to which Weng Hsiao-ling retaliated with terms like "CCP agent." This part belongs to the confrontational expressions common in political discourse, which the general public can discern, and it is difficult to consider it exceeding the scope of reasonable commentary. (Edited by: Chang Ya-ching) 1150505
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(Central News Agency, Reporter Liu Shih-yi, Taipei, May 5) Kuomintang Legislator Weng Hsiao-ling alleged that former UMC Chairman Robert Tsao promised to donate NT$15 million to National Tsing Hua University but failed to fulfill it. Tsao sued for over NT$40 million in damages, lost in the first instance, and appealed. The second instance court today ruled that the appeal was unfounded, upholding the previous ruling against Tsao. The case can still be appealed to a higher court.
Weng Hsiao-ling posted on Facebook around 2025, stating that in 1995, then-Tsing Hua University President Shen Chun-shan played a game of Go with Robert Tsao to raise funds for the university, agreeing that for every piece won, NT$10,000 would be donated. Shen Chun-shan initially thought it was NT$10,000 but later clarified it was US dollars. In the end, he won 50 pieces (US$500,000). She said, based on her understanding, Tsing Hua University has not yet received Tsao's donation.
Robert Tsao believed that Weng Hsiao-ling maliciously defamed him without reasonable verification and infringed upon his private life, filing a civil lawsuit against Weng Hsiao-ling for NT$40,987,736 and requesting the removal of the relevant statements. The Taipei District Court ruled against Tsao in the first instance. Tsao appealed, and the Taiwan High Court heard the second instance, today dismissing the appeal and again ruling against Tsao. The case can still be appealed.
According to the second instance news brief, Robert Tsao argued that Weng Hsiao-ling twice published statements on her personal Facebook on February 23, 2025, and March 3, 2025, fabricating his personal promise to donate NT$15 million to National Tsing Hua University. He claimed that this amount was actually raised by the school and UMC through a Go competition, and everyone knew this, yet she falsely accused him of lacking integrity. Another statement involved personal attacks, distortion of private photos, and out-of-context political positions.
The second instance collegial panel concluded that for the first statement, considering Robert Tsao is a public figure actively involved in public affairs, his integrity is subject to public comment. Weng Hsiao-ling's sharp commentary did not exceed the scope of reasonable commentary, did not constitute unlawfulness, and did not infringe on his right to reputation.
The second instance stated that the second statement was Weng Hsiao-ling's comment on Robert Tsao's controversial private photos and his public responses, and it was published after Tsao had first accused Weng Hsiao-ling and academic institutions of being involved in "CCP infiltration" and "united front" activities. It can be seen that the context was clearly defensive and retaliatory, making it difficult to deem that the sole purpose was to harm Robert Tsao's reputation.
Furthermore, Weng Hsiao-ling's evaluation was based on Robert Tsao's public statements and actions, the inconsistency of his claims regarding the authenticity of the photos, and the donation controversy. This falls under the expression of opinions on matters subject to public comment. Even if the language was sharp, it should still be protected by freedom of speech. The photo controversy had already been reported by the media and involved the integrity and consistency of words and deeds of a public figure, possessing a high degree of public interest, not purely belonging to the private sphere. Weng Hsiao-ling's evaluation of Robert Tsao's personality traits and suitability for important positions based on this was considered reasonable commentary.
The second instance mentioned that Robert Tsao first accused Weng Hsiao-ling with strong political language, to which Weng Hsiao-ling retaliated with terms like "CCP agent." This part belongs to the confrontational expressions common in political discourse, which the general public can discern, and it is difficult to consider it exceeding the scope of reasonable commentary. (Edited by: Chang Ya-ching) 1150505
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship is a force to protect press freedom.
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The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or utilized without authorization.