When Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen was re-elected by a landslide this January, one could argue that it was merely another hiccup for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). After all, this marked the fourth time that the anti-unification Democratic Progress Party (DPP) had won Taiwan’s presidential election. Yet, what the CCP did not foresee was the devastating effect the outbreak of COVID-19 would have on cross-strait relations, especially at the societal level in Taiwan.