My youngest son attends a university in Taipei. Throughout the past two years, whenever I have brought him his luggage or picked him up for the end of a semester or the start of a break, I have stayed at a hotel near his campus. In doing so, I have noticed a strange phenomenon: The hotel’s TV contained an unusual number of Chinese channels, filled with accents that would make a person feel as if they are in China. It is quite exhausting.
A few days ago, while staying in the hotel, I found that of the 50 available TV channels, six were Chinese — including China Central Television, several regional Chinese stations and a channel from Hong Kong. Three were news stations.
It is shocking that a major hotel in Taiwan would so openly provide Chinese TV channels and news stations, and in such disproportionate numbers. Meanwhile, several well-known and credible international news stations were absent from the hotel’s offerings.
Taiwan claims to embrace globalization and has expressed aims to become a bilingual and international society, yet it is effectively isolating itself by locking its perspective into the framework of Chinese-produced television programs.
It is well-known that China does not have press freedom — its news stations are state-owned and operated, serving only to praise the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and lacking fair and objective reporting. In contrast, several news channels based in Taiwan take a clear, pro-China stance, often maliciously criticizing Taiwan’s government, while reporting on China with yearning and admiration.
Such Taiwanese media — which specialize in discrediting Taiwan’s democratic government and glorifying an authoritarian regime — in addition to Chinese news stations that aim to indoctrinate, have been made available for Taiwanese and foreign travelers’ enjoyment. That would undoubtedly deal a serious blow to Taiwan’s image of internationalization.
Taipei is a leading city, and as such, it should become a window into Taiwan for the international community. In addition to broadening the global perspective of Taiwanese, it should also serve as a benchmark city that allows foreign visitors to witness the level of the nation’s internationalization.
However, judging by the selection of TV channels available at hotels in Taipei, it seems that there is instead self-restriction. Airing an excessive number of Chinese TV channels diminishes Taiwan’s international standing.
Taiwan’s hotels seem all too willing and eager to broadcast Chinese state-run news, generously helping the CCP promote itself and embellish its international image. It appears that, for Taipei to truly achieve internationalization, it should start by diversifying the TV channels offered in its hotels.
Chen Chi-nung is a political commentator.
Translated by Kyra Gustavsen
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