TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Officials warned Monday that Taiwanese entertainers who accommodate Chinese demands often face unfavorable outcomes, as China reportedly seeks to lure Twice Taiwanese member Chou Tzu-yu (周子瑜).
Mirror Media reported that China has identified Chou, known by her fans as Tzuyu, as a new target for recruitment and contacted her family through entertainment agent Chao Shao-wei (趙少威). The report said the Chinese side was exploring whether Tzuyu would leave JYP Entertainment after her contract expires at the end of the year and pursue opportunities in China.
According to sources cited by Mirror Media, China had offered to help Tzuyu gain access to its entertainment industry if she publicly endorsed positions including the “one China” principle and the claim that “Taiwanese are Chinese.” The reported assistance could include connections with broadcasting groups, concert organizers, and talent agencies in cities such as Beijing.
Straits Exchange Foundation Vice Chair Luo Wen-jia (羅文嘉) said the CCP has long used threats and incentives to persuade Taiwanese entertainers and cultural figures to endorse its political agenda, including statements such as “I am Chinese” and “the motherland is great,” per Liberty Times. Entertainers who have entered the Chinese market can have their opportunities abruptly halted if they refuse to cooperate, while those who comply more closely can receive greater access to the market, he said.
Luo said this approach has continued for the past decade and that the careers of Taiwanese entertainers who cooperate with Beijing inevitably reach a peak that does not last. “Once they have been used up and have no more value, they are discarded,” Luo said, adding that past cases show entertainers who gave Beijing the statements it wanted often ended up in unfavorable circumstances.
Culture Minister Li Yuan (李遠) said that he welcomes all artists to seek their own development opportunities, per CNA. However, he warned Taiwanese entertainers seeking to develop their careers in China to be mindful of “the many conditions and united front tactics employed by China.”