After Taiwan came under Japanese rule in 1895 its governors sought to change the name because "Kiray" is pronounced the same as the Japanese word for "dislike" (嫌い). The name was eventually changed to Karenkō (花蓮港 "Hualien Harbour"). After World War II the incoming Kuomintang-led Republic of China retained the Kanji spelling but shortened the name to just Karen (花蓮). Via Chinese romanization, Hualien is the official city name and has been retained since Taiwan's transition to pluralistic democracy in the 1990s.
The controversy arose last month when a HualienCounty resident said that a woman who claimed to be from the Hualien City Household Registration Office asked about her information on a recall petition.
Judicial authorities searched eight locations in HualienCity yesterday related to Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus whip Fu Kun-chi’s business and political dealings ... in Hualien County, he said.