International English-language media have been experiencing a renaissance of sorts when it comes to coverage of Taiwan. The past few years have witnessed unprecedented interest in stories about the nation, and for once not just because of its implications for China.
Ironically, China is largely to thank for this state of affairs. Foreign journalists there have been facing intense harassment, making it difficult and sometimes impossible to stay.
This deterioration has been documented by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China in successive annual reports, with its latest member survey from January finding widespread online and offline harassment, visa denials and hacking, as well as officially sanctioned lawsuits against journalists. A shocking number of journalists — 18 — were expelled in 2020, far more than in previous years. Hong Kong has fared little better amid the political turmoil that has gripped the territory.
This incessant harassment has driven journalists to neighboring outposts where they can keep reporting from afar. Given its geographic and linguistic proximity, Taiwan has emerged as a natural choice for relocation. There are now more international correspondents in Taiwan than ever before — 124 from 71 companies, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs counted last year.
Where there are journalists, there will be stories. Given the chance to immerse in Taiwanese society, reporters are finding more creative and interesting angles to express familiar topics, especially when it comes to cross-strait relations.
A typical story of this sort has traditionally centered on the US-China relationship or a “political gaffe” by some organization with a cut-and-paste explainer on the “breakaway province,” followed by a poll — if lucky — showing that Taiwanese prefer the “status quo,” leaving the reader with the impression that Taiwan is nothing more than a thorn in the side of countries’ foreign relations with China.
Compare that with a Vox video from April 1, which creatively uses China’s ban on imports of Taiwanese atemoya as a frame to discuss cross-strait relations. While still mentioning typical talking points about Chinese aircraft incursions, poaching of diplomatic allies and historical relations, the video centers on Taiwanese voices, emphasizing the harsh effect the Chinese “punishment” has had on Taiwan’s farmers and how Taiwan has adapted.
The New York Times also tackled the topic with a front-page story in the Jan. 20 international edition succinctly headlined “We are Taiwanese.” The piece paints a nuanced picture from a Taiwanese perspective, relegating China’s talking points to a side note in the greater tale of Taiwanese identity.
CNN on March 1 recounted personal stories from the White Terror era, saying that “interest in the island’s painful journey to democracy is growing — as are fears that it could be taken away.” The Guardian in January similarly highlighted the nation’s democratization through the debate surrounding memorials to Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石).
Some outlets are digging even deeper, highlighting cultural stories that would be hard to imagine finding space for just a few years earlier. The Washington Post has had a few lately, including an April 6 profile of the satirical YouTube channel EyeCTV that pokes fun at Chinese state media, and an April 4 piece on Taiwanese of Han heritage seeking to integrate into indigenous communities.
As is usually the case, China has shot itself in the foot with its own shortsightedness. Expulsions of foreign journalists might have granted Beijing better control of domestic narratives through its state-run media, but at the cost of raising Taiwan’s global voice.
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