Taiwanese actor Wu Kang-ren in a still from 'Abang Adik'. the acclaimed Malaysian film which was released in mainland China last month. - Photo: Golden Scene
BEIJING/TAIPEI (SCMP): Congratulatory National Day messages from two Taiwanese stars famous for their past criticisms of Beijing’s policies have caused controversy on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
Wu Kang-ren – who won best actor prize at last year’s Golden Horse film awards for his role in Abang Adik – marked the 75th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China on Tuesday with a celebratory post on mainland social media platform Weibo.
Wu, whose film and television work has been popular in mainland China in recent years, signed with a mainland-based management company soon after the acclaimed Malaysian film was released there last month.
Wu reposted an article by Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily about the anniversary.
Later on Tuesday, singer Chiao Anpu – formerly known as Deserts Chang – posted a similar handwritten congratulatory message on Weibo through her management company.
Wu and Chiao were among a long list of Taiwanese artists who paid homage to the October 1 anniversary but unlike the others they are known for previously supporting anti-Beijing social movements in Taiwan and Hong Kong.
Reaction on the mainland was mixed, with some of Wu and Chiao’s fans disappointed that the remarks appeared to be at odds with their previously stated views.
Other mainland social media users said they did not believe the two had changed their position and suggested they were potential supporters of “Taiwan independence” – a red line for Beijing.
Meanwhile in Taiwan, some social media users reacted to the National Day posts by accusing Wu and Chiao of “abandoning their principles for the sake of making money on the mainland”.
The issue of Taiwanese artists paying homage to Beijing’s official celebration has long been a source of controversy on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. This year’s statements come at a time of significant deterioration in cross-strait relations.
Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te from the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party is regarded by Beijing as a dangerous separatist. Since he took office in May, the People’s Liberation Army has intensified its military activities around the island.
The October 1 National Day is not celebrated in Taiwan, which Beijing regards as part of its territory to be brought under mainland control eventually, by force if necessary.
Most countries, including the United States, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state but Washington is opposed to any move to take the island by force and is committed to providing arms for its defence.
In a general comment on the matter on Tuesday, Taipei’s Mainland Affairs Council said it hoped artists sending congratulations on October 1 would “consider the sensibilities of Taiwanese society and cherish Taiwan’s hard-won democratic and free way of life”.
Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office has not commented on this year’s messages of congratulation but in the past has hailed similar celebrations by Taiwanese artists as a “genuine recognition of their identity”.
China was officially known as the Republic of China (ROC) and ruled by the Kuomintang (KMT) from 1911 until 1949. After losing a civil war to the communists, the KMT fled to Taiwan, retaining the ROC as the island’s official name, while the Communist Party established the People’s Republic.
Chiao was boycotted on the mainland after she displayed the ROC flag during a 2013 concert in Britain and described it as her “national flag”. A performance in Beijing later that year was cancelled and her mainland activities were highly restricted for years.
In March 2014, Wu and Chiao gave their public support to the Sunflower Movement – one of the largest protests in Taiwan, which opposed a free-trade agreement between the island and mainland China.
Chiao, who restarted her performances on the mainland two years ago, was also a supporter of the Occupy Central anti-government protests that took place in Hong Kong in 2014. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
