China’s use of soft power against Taiwan has apparently borne some fruit as a survey on Sunday suggested that Taiwanese’s impression of China has become more positive over the past year.
Poll results released by the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation showed that, compared with a similar survey conducted last year, the percentage of respondents with a favorable impression of China rose from 44.4 percent to 48.8 percent, while the percentage of those with a negative impression fell from 47.4 percent to 43.9 percent.
National Taiwan Normal University’s Department of Taiwan Culture, Languages and Literature associate professor Chuang Chia-yin (莊佳穎) attributed the result to China’s popular culture and entertainment shows, which more Taiwanese are being exposed to.
While the survey results are open to interpretation, one thing is certain: When it comes to the entertainment and commercial sides of cultural power, Taiwan is indeed losing its edge to China.
A number of local TV channels run China-produced programs around the clock, particularly period drama series, which wow Taiwanese viewers with their lavish sets and costumes, and singing and game shows, which present a lineup of A-list artists and elaborate stage productions for viewers.
The low-budget sets and obscure guests on many local programs pale by comparison, so it is not surprising that Chinese programs have helped shift Taiwanese’s perception of China in a positive direction.
Beijing has played a role in this. Money is difficult to resist, as can be seen from how few big-name celebrities have participated in New Year’s Eve countdown shows in Taiwan in the past few years. Chinese stars, and an increasing number of Taiwanese A-list actors, accept invitations to similar events in China.
Taiwan’s entertainment sector is not defenseless against the temptation of China’s wealth. Taiwan still has the advantage of freedom of expression, as well as the creativity, dynamic diversity and vitality that a democratic society has to offer.
However, that alone is not enough for the nation’s entertainment sector to thrive. More resources and attention are needed from the government so that a friendly environment can be created to showcase the nation’s distinct culture to the world.
To be fair, there is nothing wrong with Taiwanese TV stations broadcasting China-produced shows, as it allows Taiwanese viewers to recognize the differences between the Taiwanese and Chinese cultures. It also broadens the horizons of entertainers, allowing them to examine their own shortcomings.
Taiwanese cannot deny that Chinese culture has had an effect on Taiwan, or that Taiwanese culture has roots in China. However, Taiwan has built a unique culture of its own and the government should do a better job of shaping policies so that entertainers and artists have a stage on which to shine. Taiwan should consider its own soft power, letting its culture affect the world.
Beijing in February launched numerous incentives for Taiwanese to go to China, with offers aimed to woo those in the high-tech, agriculture, education, and culture and entertainment sectors, and especially targeting professionals, educators, artists and entertainers.
That Beijing is drawing up incentives and dumping capital to lure Taiwanese to the other side of the Taiwan Strait suggests that Taiwan has no shortage of talent. The crux of the matter is not the effects or threats posed by Chinese big money, but the lax attitude with which the Taiwanese government addresses culture and entertainment — is the government’s inaction driving talent out of the nation?
The term “assassin’s mace” originates from Chinese folklore, describing a concealed weapon used by a weaker hero to defeat a stronger adversary with an unexpected strike. In more general military parlance, the concept refers to an asymmetric capability that targets a critical vulnerability of an adversary. China has found its modern equivalent of the assassin’s mace with its high-altitude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) weapons, which are nuclear warheads detonated at a high altitude, emitting intense electromagnetic radiation capable of disabling and destroying electronics. An assassin’s mace weapon possesses two essential characteristics: strategic surprise and the ability to neutralize a core dependency.
Chinese President and Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Chairman Xi Jinping (習近平) said in a politburo speech late last month that his party must protect the “bottom line” to prevent systemic threats. The tone of his address was grave, revealing deep anxieties about China’s current state of affairs. Essentially, what he worries most about is systemic threats to China’s normal development as a country. The US-China trade war has turned white hot: China’s export orders have plummeted, Chinese firms and enterprises are shutting up shop, and local debt risks are mounting daily, causing China’s economy to flag externally and hemorrhage internally. China’s
During the “426 rally” organized by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party under the slogan “fight green communism, resist dictatorship,” leaders from the two opposition parties framed it as a battle against an allegedly authoritarian administration led by President William Lai (賴清德). While criticism of the government can be a healthy expression of a vibrant, pluralistic society, and protests are quite common in Taiwan, the discourse of the 426 rally nonetheless betrayed troubling signs of collective amnesia. Specifically, the KMT, which imposed 38 years of martial law in Taiwan from 1949 to 1987, has never fully faced its
When a recall campaign targeting the opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators was launched, something rather disturbing happened. According to reports, Hualien County Government officials visited several people to verify their signatures. Local authorities allegedly used routine or harmless reasons as an excuse to enter people’s house for investigation. The KMT launched its own recall campaigns, targeting Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers, and began to collect signatures. It has been found that some of the KMT-headed counties and cities have allegedly been mobilizing municipal machinery. In Keelung, the director of the Department of Civil Affairs used the household registration system
RSS