Taipei: The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) announced on Friday that 23 Taiwanese entertainers have been verbally warned for actions deemed as "cooperation" with Chinese authorities, marking the first investigation of its kind by the Taiwanese government. "What we are investigating is not the content of the posts themselves, but your acts of cooperation with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its government and military," stated MAC deputy head and spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh during a news briefing in Taipei.
According to Focus Taiwan, Liang clarified that CCTV, a media outlet involved in the situation, operates as a party-run entity under the CCP, thus aligning it with the Chinese government and military. Some entertainers had echoed Beijing's narrative of Taiwan belonging to China, with several making similar posts during China's "Joint Sword" military exercises near Taiwan in May and October of the previous year.
Liang further explained that many entertainers claimed that their posts were managed by their management companies, while others alleged ignorance of any violation of the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (Cross-Strait Act). "Some also said that after this investigation, they would not do the same thing again in the future," Liang added.
Paragraph 1, Article 33-1 of the Cross-Strait Act prohibits individuals from engaging in "any form of cooperative activity" with Chinese entities that are political parties, military, or involved in political work against Taiwan. Liang stated that reposting such content is considered an act of cooperation unless there is evidence of strong opposition from the entertainers.
Liang emphasized that shifting responsibility to managers is unjustifiable as managers act on behalf of entertainers, making them responsible for actions taken in their name. This investigation marks the first time the Taiwanese government has probed and issued penalties against entertainers for their careers in China. However, no penalties were imposed, as the investigation's purpose was to provide entertainers with grounds to refuse future requests from Chinese authorities, according to Liang.
Under Article 90-2 of the Cross-Strait Act, violating Paragraph 1 of Article 33-1 could result in fines ranging from NT$100,000 to NT$500,000, with repeat penalties possible. Liang stressed that the investigation aimed to give entertainers a reason to decline such cooperation.
Bruce Liao, an associate professor at National Chengchi University's College of Law, expressed concerns regarding freedom of speech. He argued that even promoting pro-China views is protected under Taiwan's laws and Constitution. Liao asserted that acts of cooperation should only target violations, such as leaking state secrets, which can legally be penalized.
While the MAC has not disclosed the full list of entertainers investigated, Ouyang Nana was identified as one who reposted CCTV messages on Weibo. Liao cautioned against applying the article without considering freedom of speech and emphasized that offensive speech should not be grounds for legal punishment.