China’s ticket tactics
Chinese hip-hop artist Wang Yitai (王以太) was scheduled to perform in Taiwan on Sept. 14 and 15 as part of a tour.
However, his promotional materials included the phrase “Next Stop: Taipei, China” which was clearly a dig to diminish Taiwan’s international status and undermine Taiwan’s sovereignty.
The wording caught the attention of the government, as it contravened the Regulations on Permission for Entrance of People of the Mainland Area Into the Taiwan Area (大陸地區人民進入臺灣地區許可辦法). The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) barred Wang from performing in Taiwan.
However, the concert organizers had sold tickets before applying for permission to hold the event, seemingly to leverage the power of ticket holders to pressure the government.
This approach is not only a breach of regulations and harms the rights of fans, it also exploits Taiwan’s democracy, which values the public’s voice.
By selling tickets before receiving approval, China appears to be testing Taiwan’s resolve. If Wang is unable to come to Taiwan and the organizers refuse to refund the tickets, the blame would fall on the government, suggesting that the financial losses should be borne by the MAC. This would cause conflict in Taiwan.
The incident reveals China’s intention to weaken Taiwan’s international standing in the name of cultural exchange. The maneuver also exerts political pressure on Taiwan, aiming to force the government to either accept the “China Taipei” designation or to face internal disruption.
No one wants to spend money on concert tickets only to have it disappear due to government entry restrictions.
The tactic is clever and Taiwanese must be vigilant against being led by China.
Chang Ya-jou
Taipei
Taiwan’s semiconductor industry gives it a strategic advantage, but that advantage would be threatened as the US seeks to end Taiwan’s monopoly in the industry and as China grows more assertive, analysts said at a security dialogue last week. While the semiconductor industry is Taiwan’s “silicon shield,” its dominance has been seen by some in the US as “a monopoly,” South Korea’s Sungkyunkwan University academic Kwon Seok-joon said at an event held by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. In addition, Taiwan lacks sufficient energy sources and is vulnerable to natural disasters and geopolitical threats from China, he said.
After reading the article by Hideki Nagayama [English version on same page] published in the Liberty Times (sister newspaper of the Taipei Times) on Wednesday, I decided to write this article in hopes of ever so slightly easing my depression. In August, I visited the National Museum of Ethnology in Osaka, Japan, to attend a seminar. While there, I had the chance to look at the museum’s collections. I felt extreme annoyance at seeing that the museum had classified Taiwanese indigenous peoples as part of China’s ethnic minorities. I kept thinking about how I could make this known, but after returning
What value does the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) hold in Taiwan? One might say that it is to defend — or at the very least, maintain — truly “blue” qualities. To be truly “blue” — without impurities, rejecting any “red” influence — is to uphold the ideology consistent with that on which the Republic of China (ROC) was established. The KMT would likely not object to this notion. However, if the current generation of KMT political elites do not understand what it means to be “blue” — or even light blue — their knowledge and bravery are far too lacking
Taipei’s population is estimated to drop below 2.5 million by the end of this month — the only city among the nation’s six special municipalities that has more people moving out than moving in this year. A city that is classified as a special municipality can have three deputy mayors if it has a population of more than 2.5 million people, Article 55 of the Local Government Act (地方制度法) states. To counter the capital’s shrinking population, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) held a cross-departmental population policy committee meeting on Wednesday last week to discuss possible solutions. According to Taipei City Government data, Taipei’s