Chinese actor Alan Yu (于朦朧) died after allegedly falling from a building in Beijing on Sept. 11. The actor’s mysterious death was tightly censored on Chinese social media, with discussions and doubts about the incident quickly erased. Even Hong Kong artist Daniel Chan’s (陳曉東) post questioning the truth about the case was automatically deleted, sparking concern among overseas Chinese-speaking communities about the dark culture and severe censorship in China’s entertainment industry.
Yu had been under house arrest for days, and forced to drink with the rich and powerful before he died, reports said. He lost his life in this vicious environment of politics-business collusion. This kind of qianguize (潛規則), or hidden rules, that are devoid of humanity not only kill individual lives, but also strangle freedom of speech in Chinese society.
As a society with diverse voices, the rule of law and respect for human rights, Taiwan is a contrast to China in many ways, and the gap can hardly be concealed by Beijing’s political slogans.
The Chinese entertainment industry appears glamorous, with stars shining on red carpets and fans cheering on social media, but this is only on the surface. The truth is that stars’ successes often stem not from talent, but from manipulation by capital and power.
Those resisting the hidden rules might be canceled, excluded — as can be seen in Yu’s tragedy.
The experience of Golden Horse Award Best Actor winner Wu Kang-ren’s (吳慷仁) attempt to expand his career in China also exposed obstacles in the Chinese entertainment industry. Wu faced a boycott from Chinese Internet users due to the political atmosphere and hidden rules. Plus, his collaboration with costar Betty Sun (孫儷) was obstructed last year when she questioned his political stance and threatened to withdraw from the TV drama they were starring in. Ultimately, he returned to Taiwan to rebuild his career.
Wu’s example reveals that under an authoritarian system where freedom of speech and creation are absent, even outstanding artists struggle to thrive. As political censorship and the hidden rules closely interweave with each other in the Chinese entertainment sector, they have mercilessly oppressed people’s humanity and creative expression. This is a sorrow not only for artists, but also for the entire system.
From Yu’s tragedy to Wu’s failure, instead of a shared culture on the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, only a deep-rooted institutional gap and conflicting values are evident. Under China’s censorship and omnipresent monitoring, entertainers can hardly speak out and are forced to “help the wicked perpetuate wicked deeds,” while a fair and transparent investigation into Yu’s death is not possible.
The situation is a reminder that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait should not get closer blindly. Rather, Taiwanese should face their differences from China in freedom, the rule of law and human rights, while safeguarding the nation’s precious democratic values.
Taiwanese should stay alert to the hidden rules and dark forces that are devoid of humanity in China’s entertainment world as well as overall societal system. They should also reflect on the duplicity of and the risks behind the concept of “two sides of the Strait are one family” (兩岸一家親). Only by staying vigilant and having a clear awareness can Taiwan keep its democracy and freedom, and be sure that its values would not be compromised.
Yang Chih-chiang is an elementary-school teacher.
Translated by Eddy Chang
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