The Mainland Affairs Council yesterday rejected an application for a concert in Taiwan by Chinese hip-hop musician Wang Yitai (王以太) after finding that the event organizer had sold tickets without permission and that the artist’s promotional content read: “Next stop: Taipei, China,” an official familiar with the matter said.
What would have been Wang’s first concert in Taiwan, titled “Love Me Later,” was scheduled for Sept. 14 at Legacy Max in Taipei’s Xinyi District (信義), organizer Mercury Entertainment said.
Mercury Entertainment said it began selling tickets online on July 1 for NT$2,900 each, as well as merchandise, and that the tickets were already sold out.
Photo: Screen grab from Xiaohongshu
Promotional content on the online ticketing site said that Wang was a member of rap collective CDC and one of the top six finalists in the 2018 The Rap of China competition.
He later participated in music programs such as I Am a Singer-Songwriter and Our Band. In 2022, Wang and his team, performing under the name “One Seat,” won the championship in the “China Rap Summit Showdown,” the ticketing site said.
“In 2024, Wang Yitai will embark on a tour with his third new solo album, Love Me Later, and will hold his first solo concert in Taipei on Sept. 14, promising to create the most explosive hip-hop stage with his fans,” it said.
In rejecting the application, the council found that in Wang’s promotional content for his album he had used the wording “Next stop: Taipei, China,” belittling Taiwan’s status. He also shot a series of promotional photos, including one that features a station sign that reads: “Beijing South Station,” and indicates a route between Beijing and “Taipei, China.”
The council also cited Mercury Entertainment’s failure to apply for approval before selling tickets as part of the reason for the rejection.
The organizer did not submit the required information until July 10, more than a week later than the date they started selling tickets, it said.
The official said that the government does not need to grant approval just because tickets have been sold.
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