Twenty-three Taiwanese entertainers, including Ouyang Nana (歐陽娜娜), are under investigation by the government after sharing social media posts from Chinese Communist Party (CCP) state broadcaster CCTV that promote “unification” and “united front” tactics, a source said today.
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) and Ministry of Culture have sent letters to the entertainers’ management and agencies requesting an explanation.
The council previously said there would be no punishments, as the letters are “merely a warning.”
Photo: Screen grab from Ouyang Nana’s Sina Weibo
However, 11 of the 23 have still not responded, an official with knowledge of the matter said today.
Of the 11, three hold dual nationality, at least one of whom has Canadian citizenship, so official notices could not be delivered, they said.
Those whose representatives did respond said they were “unaware” or had “no such intention” to promote CCP propaganda, they added.
Follow-up letters have been sent to those yet to reply, demanding explanations within a set deadline, they said.
Failure to respond would be treated as forfeiting their rights, the official said.
If they choose to reply to follow-up letters, no punishments would be enforced, as it still serves as “only a warning,” they said.
After China's “Joint Sword-2024B” military exercises around Taiwan in October last year, several Taiwanese entertainers allegedly reposted CCTV posts with slogans such as “Taiwan has always been China’s territory” and “there is only one China.”
In March, after Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅) referred to Taiwan as “Taiwan, Province of China,” more than 10 entertainers — including Patty Hou (侯佩岑) and Michelle Chen (陳妍希) — reposted similar CCTV slogans such as “Taiwan must return.”
The MAC and culture ministry subsequently launched an administrative review, sending letters to the entertainers’ agencies and managers demanding an explanation as to why they had participated in CCP propaganda.
Then, on Wednesday last week as China held a major military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II, Taiwanese entertainers once again reposted CCTV content with “salute to victory” messaging and phrases such as “may our vast homeland prosper, may the motherland thrive and grow strong.”
Although the entertainers did not repost content explicitly supporting armed unification, an investigation has been launched to ascertain whether they undermined or denied Taiwan’s sovereign status or advocated the use of force to resolve cross-strait issues, officials said.
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