◎ Zhang Houguang
If the media reports that China's Taiwan-related system is trying to contact Taiwanese artists and exchanging markets and resources for political statements, Taiwanese society should certainly be alert. When "One China" is regarded as a condition for market access, this is no longer a simple commercial cooperation, but an erosion of cultural creation by political forces.
But while Taiwan is angry, it should ask itself: What should we do so that talents do not have to trade their values for the stage?
Please read on...
This issue is more critical than simply cursing the United Front. We must face reality: artists are not politicians, they need a stage, funding, a production team and a market. Not just entertainers, but tomorrow’s athletes, directors, musicians and even technological talents. What talents fear most is not the lack of ideals, but the lack of opportunities to demonstrate value. Faced with the temptation of a huge market, it will never be effective to just shout, "That's a united front, don't go there." We must respond confidently: "You can still succeed if you stay in Taiwan, and you can go global."
TWICE Taiwan member Zhou Tzuyu's contract with the Korean group expires at the end of this year. It is reported that China's Taiwan-related system has targeted Zhou Tzuyu and is exploring the possibility of moving to China for development. (File photo) Some people blame the cultural industry’s plight on the Ministry of Culture’s “budget cuts.” The budget is certainly important, but the core of the problem is by no means a superficial dispute over "more money and less money", but the long-term project of industrial structure. The government can invest, but it cannot rely solely on subsidies forever. What Taiwan really needs is a sound industrial chain - from talent cultivation, production, performance to international marketing, so that creation can cycle on its own, generate value, and expand from Taiwan to Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, and even the European and American markets. When Taiwan can expand the stage for artists from the "Chinese market" to the "global market," Beijing's political attractiveness will naturally plummet. This is the real contest of strength in the competition between authoritarianism and democracy.
The greatest power of democracy is choice. If someone uses cultural identity to promote the annihilation of the Republic of China or the threat of force, it is the bottom line of national security for the government to deal with it in accordance with the law; however, normal cross-border work and exchanges should retain space as long as they do not cross the legal red line. We cannot criticize China for restricting freedoms while requiring artists to only say what we want to hear - that is not a victory for democracy, but the beginning of a loss of self-confidence.
Facing China's strategy, what we need is not panic, but competition. China uses the market to attract people, and Taiwan uses freedom to create the market; China uses artists as propaganda vehicles, and Taiwan should allow creators to enjoy the freedom without having to express their opinions.
What Taiwan really needs is a sound film and television industry chain. The picture shows "Sunshine Girls", the box office champion of Taiwanese films in history, has another good news and entered the Tokyo Film Festival! (File photo, provided by Good Times Entertainment) A truly confident democracy does not build high walls to lock in talents, but opens the door and makes the stage bigger. What Taiwan really needs to guard against is not just China poaching a few artists, but one day when we lose the ability to convince talents that "if you stay in Taiwan, you can see the world." This is the most profound warning message in this controversy.
(The author works for Hanxiang Airlines)
