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GIO minister downplays lawmakers’ concern over cross-strait movie deals

Government Information Office (GIO) Minister Su Jun-pin (蘇俊賓) yesterday dismissed legislator criticism that the administration’s movie policy would focus on subsidizing collaborations with China.

Fielding questions from Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lin Shu-fen (林淑芬) during a meeting of the Education and Culture Committee, Su said his office had launched a flagship project to help the motion picture industry.

“[We] hope to differentiate the [marketing] strategies for the nation’s large-scale, mid-scale and small-scale movie industry to help them compete in the Chinese film market,” Su said.

Su said the GIO had encouraged filmmakers of big-budget movies to collaborate with their counterparts abroad, while encouraging producers of mid and small-budget movies to shoot mini-movies.

Lin expressed concern that the motion picture industry would continue to lean on China if the GIO keeps on subsidizing Taiwanese filmmakers who collaborate with Chinese producers.

DPP Legislator Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃) attacked the GIO’s budget request because of government-funded Radio Taiwan International’s (RTI) plan to interview Chinese political leaders next year. Chen accused RTI of helping Beijing’s political propaganda.

Su said the GIO could not interfere with the station’s plan.

“The GIO cannot interfere in how members of the press execute their planned interviews with international figures, as long as [members of the media] do not compromise their autonomy and the nation’s dignity,” Su said.

Meanwhile, Su told reporters that the government had turned down a request from Xinhua news agency to interview President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Premier Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) because this was not a “convenient” time.

Su said part of the GIO’s focus for next year would be arranging interviews with the international media for top officials to clarify the government’s policies and increase Taiwan’s visibility, and arranging interviews on the plan to sign an economic cooperation framework agreement with China.
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