Taipei: The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) indicated on Thursday that social media posts by Taiwanese entertainers, which shared content from China's state-run broadcaster about a military parade in Beijing, do not, in its initial assessment, constitute "cooperative activity" with Chinese authorities in violation of the Cross-Strait Act. The comments came during a regular news briefing in Taipei, where MAC Deputy Minister and spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh clarified the council's stance on the issue.
According to Focus Taiwan, the MAC's assessment found that the wording of the posts appeared to be deliberately crafted and did not undermine the status of the Republic of China (Taiwan's official name) or advocate the use of force to resolve cross-strait issues. These posts, shared by entertainers Wu Kang-ren and Shu Qi among others, promoted a China Central Television (CCTV) livestream of a parade in Beijing's Tiananmen Square, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and the Second Sino-Japanese War.
The Cross-Strait Act's Paragraph 1, Article 33-1, prohibits individuals from engaging in "any form of cooperative activity" with Chinese agencies deemed political in nature, including those that could affect Taiwan's national security. Liang emphasized that the key concern for the MAC is whether such cooperation undermines the status of the ROC, seeks to erase its sovereignty, or advocates the use of force in cross-strait relations.
While Wu and Shu are unlikely to face penalties for their posts, Liang highlighted that the MAC had recently concluded its first investigation into similar accusations against Taiwanese entertainers. These investigations were initiated due to perceived acts of cooperation with the Chinese Communist Party and its government and military.
Liang acknowledged the difficulty in defining "cooperative activity" but expressed hope that ongoing investigations and warnings would clarify the boundaries. He noted the complexity of the issue, stating, "it's impossible to set a formula as simple as one plus one equals two."
When questioned about former Kuomintang Chairperson Hung Hsiu-chu's participation in the Beijing parade, Liang stated that her attendance did not appear to violate Article 9-3 of the Cross-Strait Act. This article prohibits former high-ranking officials from attending events organized by Chinese agencies that harm national dignity. Liang explained that Hung's previous role as Legislative Yuan deputy speaker does not fall under the targets regulated by Article 9-3.