Instant noodle brand stirs discussion

A popular instant noodle from the Chinese mainland sold in Taiwan sparked discussion on social media after it was pulled from shelves by island authorities who felt its slogan conveyed a pro-unification message.

Li Chong-lim, a city councilor from Tainan, recently posted a photograph on his Facebook account of instant luosifen (or river snail rice) noodles, on sale in a shop on the island.

The picture displays the brand's slogan, which reads as: "You are Chinese, so am I. After rounding up, you are my people".

Li claimed that the slogan contained a "united front" connotation and called for offending companies to stop importing the brand.

Island authorities ordered products to be pulled from both offline and online shops on Monday, and warned that companies found breaking the order will be dealt with according to the law.

Many netizens in Taiwan felt the move was an overreaction. Some said it made them more interested to try the noodles, while others questioned the reason for banning the brand now when it has available for a while.

The ban also became a hot topic on social media in the mainland on Tuesday. Mainland netizens felt the Taiwan authorities were being too sensitive, and many said the slogan sounded like "love words" to them. Many also joked that they would buy the brand's products to support it.

Snail soup noodles, a specialty from Liuzhou in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, is famous for its pungent smell and taste, and is enjoyed by many people.