Brian Hioeby Brian Hioe
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Photo Credit: N509FZ /WikiCommons/CC BY-SA 4.0
TAIWANESE ENTERTAINERS working in the Chinese market have again posted messages regarding Chinese National Day on October 1st.
Sometimes this has taken the form of reposting messages from Chinese state-run media. Entertainers that have done so in recent memory include Cynthia Wang, Ouyang Didi, Wang Leehom, and Wu Kang-ren. Singer Jam Hsiao also performed on a televised Chinese National Day program on which he was framed as being from “Taiwan, China.”
Wu Kang-ren recently courted controversy after signing with a Chinese entertainment company. Wu had previously expressed support for the 2014 Sunflower Movement and participated in local productions that emphasized Taiwanese identity. As such, Wu’s signing with a Chinese company, and his now apparent willingness to post messages regarding Chinese National Day has been seen as a betrayal.
This proves similar to anger earlier this year after band Mayday apparently finally caved to Chinese pressure, with lead singer Ashin referring to “We Chinese” in a show. During the Sunflower Movement, Mayday bassist Masa expressed support for the youth-led occupation, before pressure from Chinese fans led the group to declare that it was not against the Cross-Strait Services Trade Agreement that the movement opposed.
Likewise, prior to the 2024 presidential elections, Mayday faced an investigation over lip-synching allegations. International news reporting stated that this was punishment from China, as a result of Mayday being asked to perform some unspecified political service for the Chinese government and refusing to do so. This may have been, indeed, taking a stance against Taiwan’s political independence.
The investigation into such allegations became a political flashpoint between the DPP and KMT. KMT politicians such as Jaw Shaw-kong also claimed that this story had been concocted by the DPP to fearmonger over China. Jaw stated that he would persecute the international media responsible for the story if elected. Jaw called on Mayday to come forward with the truth, claiming that this would reflect badly on the DPP, though the band did not do so. Mayday was later cleared of the allegations by Chinese authorities, some months after the election.
Photo credit: Mayday/Facebook
Taiwanese entertainers working in the Chinese market face pressure regarding their political stances. Earlier this year, it came to light, Taiwanese actor Wu Mu-hsuen was made to sign a pledge of agreement regarding China’s territorial claims over Taiwan. Details of this pledge were disclosed by Wu’s agent, Chen Hsiao-chih. This was a condition for the broadcast of the online drama “Hey! Come a Bit Closer”, which had finished filming. Wu was told that the drama would not be broadcast unless she signed the agreement. According to Wu’s agent, such pledges are now increasingly commonplace for Taiwanese entertainers working in China, sometimes from the production company itself out of fear of controversy, without any need for external pressure from Chinese authorities.
Taiwanese influencers have also been courted for influence operations by the Chinese government, in the hopes that this will influence the views of Taiwanese young people in a more pro-China direction.
In June, Taiwanese YouTuber Potter King posted on social media that ten Taiwanese influencers and their production crews were traveling and filming in China on subsidized trips paid for by the Chinese government. Expenses such as travel, food, and lodging are paid for, taking place under the auspices of cross-strait youth exchanges. This, too, would be a means of bettering China’s image in Taiwan among young people. Potter King had appeared in videos with former Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen in the past.
Subsequently, two entertainers–Alexis Ho and Hsieh Ho-hsien, better known as R-Chord–came forward about having been approached by a Chinese media company about forming a pro-China political party in Taiwan. The political party would be called the “Taiwan Embrace Peace Party”, and frame itself as beyond pan-Blue and pan-Green political distinctions. In return for providing content for the party, the two were promised more than ten million NT per year in advertising and endorsements. Participants in the party could become its founders and serve as deputy chairs, while members of the Chinese media company would act as its steering committee.
Entertainment continues to remain an arena in which national identity is contested, then. Nevertheless, it is not a recurring news story, each year around the time of Chinese National Day was to which entertainers have caved this year to Chinese pressure.