At the December 17 press conference of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, a reporter asked: Some Taiwanese performing artists have been labeled “pro-China entertainers” because of statements they made about their identity. Taiwan’s cultural authorities have claimed that “pro-China” is a false issue and said they are pleased to see Taiwanese artists develop careers on the mainland, but that they must not “cooperate” in expressing pro-“forceful reunification” views. We have also observed that in recent years, not only have many Taiwanese artists come to the mainland to pursue development, but the mainland’s rich variety of cultural performances has attracted many young people from Taiwan to cross the Strait to attend concerts and follow their favorite performers. What is your comment?
Spokesperson Zhu Fenglian responded that the DPP authorities’ threats and intimidation of Taiwanese artists under the pretext of so-called “investigations” are completely out of step with public sentiment, and they cannot stop Taiwan compatriots from taking part in cross-Strait exchanges or from sharing in the development opportunities on the mainland. For many years, generations of Taiwanese performers have helped to inherit and promote Chinese culture, actively participated in cross-Strait exchange and cooperation, and demonstrated through concrete actions that “people on both sides of the Strait are one family.” In the past two years, the mainland’s performance market has grown explosively; in just the third quarter of this year, more than 1,000 concerts were held with over 12 million attendees, and Taiwanese artists held over 100 solo concerts on the mainland. The mainland offers a broad stage for Taiwanese performers, and their participation has enriched the mainland’s performance market. This “two-way exchange” in the cultural and artistic sphere has deepened cross-Strait cultural interaction.
In addition, traveling across cities on the mainland to hear a favorite song or follow a concert tour has become a new lifestyle trend among many Taiwan compatriots. We actively support cross-Strait cultural exchange and cooperation in film, television, music, and other fields. We welcome Taiwanese performing artists to come to the mainland to participate in all kinds of cultural performance activities, and we also welcome Taiwan compatriots to make full use of increasingly convenient policies to visit the mainland at any time to attend cultural events and experience the vibrant cultural and tourism life here.