Since Beijing launched a boycott of the Golden Horse Awards in 2018, China has not participated in the Taiwanese film awards.
However, this year, unlike in the past few years, multiple Chinese-themed films — featuring the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as women’s and labor issues — were nominated.
Despite difficulties, some Chinese filmmakers, actors and crews still visited Taiwan late last month to take part in the awards ceremony. On the Internet, many Chinese seem to believe that Taiwan is the only place that gives respect to Chinese-language films and cherishes film talent.
There is no right or wrong in art. To quote Taiwanese director Ang Lee (李安): “Art is art. I don’t want any politics to interfere with the Golden Horse Awards, and I hope that everyone will respect this and give respect to filmmakers as well.”
Looking back at China’s film and television creation over the past few years, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has imposed constant restrictions.
The highly criticized 34th Golden Rooster Awards in China in 2021 serve as an example, and the sorrow that many Chinese expressed online was understandable.
All six films nominated that year for Best Feature Film except Sister (我的姐姐) were “tributes” to the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CCP. Even the “little pink” CCP supporters asked: “Were they nominated to fill the vacancies because there were no good movies?”
The Golden Horse Awards, the Golden Rooster Awards and the Hong Kong Film Awards recognize the creations of Chinese-language filmmakers. For example, at the 60th Golden Horse Awards this year, the slate of outstanding nominees caused much discussion on major Chinese Web sites.
Although Beijing has not yet lifted its boycott of the awards, I believe that more filmmakers from all sides will participate in the event next year.
When walking under the sun, people cast a shadow, but when they are not afraid of the shadow, their works shine.
Liy Wu is a journalist.
Translated by Eddy Chang
This month, the National Health Insurance (NHI) is to implement a major policy change by eliminating the suspension-and-resumption mechanism for Taiwanese residing abroad. With more than 210,000 Taiwanese living overseas — many with greater financial means than those in Taiwan — this reform, catalyzed by a 2022 Constitutional Court ruling, underscores the importance of fairness, sustainability and shared responsibility in one of the world’s most admired public healthcare systems. Beyond legal obligations, expatriates have a compelling moral duty to contribute, recognizing their stake in a system that embodies the principle of health as a human right. The ruling declared the prior
US president-elect Donald Trump is inheriting from President Joe Biden a challenging situation for American policy in the Indo-Pacific region, with an expansionist China on the march and threatening to incorporate Taiwan, by force if necessary. US policy choices have become increasingly difficult, in part because Biden’s policy of engagement with China, including investing in personal diplomacy with President Xi Jinping (習近平), has not only yielded little but also allowed the Chinese military to gain a stronger footing in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait. In Xi’s Nov. 16 Lima meeting with a diminished Biden, the Chinese strongman signaled little
On Tuesday, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) issued a statement criticizing Song Siyao (宋思瑤), a student from Shanghai’s Fudan University, saying she had offended the sensibilities of Taiwanese. It also called for the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation — established by former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) — which had organized the tour group, to remind group members to be careful with their statements. Song, during a visit to a baseball stadium in Taichung, said that the tour group “would like to congratulate China, Taipei team (中國台北隊) ... we wish mainland China and Taiwan compatriots can be like the team Chinatrust Brothers and
“Integrated Diplomacy” (總和外交) is the guiding principle of Taiwan’s current foreign policy. It seeks to mobilize technology, capital and talent for global outreach, strengthening Taiwan’s international connections. However, without a robust information security mechanism, such efforts risk being reduced to superficial courtesy calls. Security clearance serves as the “entrance examination results” for government agency personnel in sensitive positions, qualifying them to access sensitive information. Senior aides in the US Congress must also possess security clearance to assist lawmakers in handling classified budgets. However, security clearance is not an automatic right or a blanket necessity for accessing sensitive information. Access is granted only
RSS