Chinese Internet media service operator iQiyi (愛奇藝) cannot establish a local subsidiary under laws regulating cross-strait affairs, Minister of Culture Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君) said yesterday in response to questions from lawmakers during a briefing at the Legislative Yuan.
Cheng was at a meeting of the legislature’s Education and Culture Committee to explain how the government is planning to develop the Internet media industry, which delivers audio, video or other media without an operator controlling the distribution of content, which is referred to as over-the-top (OTT) content.
Some committee members raised the issue of iQiyi , which has submitted its third application for a local subsidiary.
Photo: CNA
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Ko Chih-en (柯志恩) said that 25 percent of the programs on iQiyi are Taiwanese dramas, and the platform could help these programs reach millions of viewers in China, which could encourage Taiwanese producers to produce more TV dramas.
IQiyi has already attracted local users, and allowing it to establish a subsidiary would allow the government to tax it for the revenue it has earned here, Ko said.
A local office could also be held accountable if disputes arose over the firm’s service, she said.
Cheng said that the Regulations Governing Permission for People from the Mainland Area to Invest in Taiwan (大陸地區之營利事業在台設立分公司或辦事處許可辦法) state that OTT services belong to the service category in which Chinese investment is not allowed.
“The iQiyi’s case is currently under review by the Investment Commission, which has sought the opinion of the Ministry of Culture,” Cheng said. “Our response would be that we have to protect our right to broadcast our own cultural content. China has yet to allow Taiwanese OTT operators to offer services in China. All these factors need to be taken in consideration as the commission reviews the case.”
She said the government wants to develop OTT services as they are a great opportunity to transform the broadcasting and television industry.
“In addition to the subsidies and prizes that are already available for people working in the broadcasting and film industries, we hope to expand the investment from the National Development Fund in these two industries,” she said.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Su Chiao-hui (蘇巧慧) said that the ministry should review dramas and movies produced by OTT providers for the Golden Bell Awards or the Golden Horse Award nominations.
The US drama series House of Cards, one of the most popular series on Netflix, an OTT provider, has received Golden Globe Awards, Primetime Emmy Awards and other recognition, she said.
National Communications Commission (NCC) spokesperson Wong Po-tsung (翁柏宗) said that the commission is not planning to draft specific laws to regulate OTT service providers, as the majority of nations worldwide are light-handed when it comes to regulating Internet content.
One has to abide by the current regulations if the case involves Chinese investment, Wong said.
However, the NCC is considering relaxing broadcasting regulations so that television channels and OTT service are regulated along the same lines, he said.
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
TRADE: A mandatory declaration of origin for manufactured goods bound for the US is to take effect on May 7 to block China from exploiting Taiwan’s trade channels All products manufactured in Taiwan and exported to the US must include a signed declaration of origin starting on May 7, the Bureau of Foreign Trade announced yesterday. US President Donald Trump on April 2 imposed a 32 percent tariff on imports from Taiwan, but one week later announced a 90-day pause on its implementation. However, a universal 10 percent tariff was immediately applied to most imports from around the world. On April 12, the Trump administration further exempted computers, smartphones and semiconductors from the new tariffs. In response, President William Lai’s (賴清德) administration has introduced a series of countermeasures to support affected
RSS