Seeing Chou Tzu-yu’s pitiful video makes many people very sad. However, is the information received on the Taiwan side correct?
The massive backlash Chou Tzu-yu faced from across the strait has nothing to do with the Blue Sky, White Sun, and a Wholly Red flag. Anyone telling you that Mainland Chinese people oppose her holding the flag of the Republic of China (R.O.C.) is lying to you.
Reason 1: Pro-independence Media Pushed Chou into the Eye of the Storm
If media outlets like SET News, Liberty Times, and Apple Daily hadn’t portrayed Chou Tzu-yu as a “Goddess of Taiwan Independence” while constantly provoking and humiliating Mainland Chinese people, it would never have come to this.
These outlets mocked: “Look, our Independence Goddess can still perform in Beijing just fine—the ‘Strong Country’ people have shattered glass hearts again, haha!”
Given such mockery directed at Beijing, could they possibly not reject her performance? It was those journalists and editors who harmed her.
Reason 2: JYP Entertainment’s Poor Handling
Under public pressure, the Mainland side requested that JYP either swap the performer, change the group, or refund the money for pre-arranged shows. However, the agency refused everything and even stated they didn’t want to recognize “One China.”
Mainland netizens were incensed. If JYP had refunded the money and waited for the storm to pass, they could have coexisted. Instead, JYP’s refusal to show respect escalated the conflict.
Reason 3: Pro-independence Forces Kept Fueling the Fire
After the incident, Taiwan media distorted the reasons for the Mainland’s opposition, claiming she was scolded just for holding the flag. This led to more internal backlash in Taiwan, which irritated the Mainland even further.
Furthermore, fan pages run by Chou’s relatives and friends, instead of de-escalating, added fuel to the fire by posting statements like “Taiwan is a country.” Independence-leaning media widely reported these, condemning the Mainland as “barbaric.” The Green camp even used this to criticize the failure of the Ma administration’s cross-strait policies.
These fan pages were not run by Chou herself, and media reports had nothing to do with her will. However, Chou was used as a weapon by the pro-independence camp. Regardless of whether Chou herself supports independence, to the Mainland, this “weapon” had to be broken.
The Result: A Tragic Sacrifice
The consequences are painful. The real culprits are the pro-independence media like SET News, yet the Mainland is boycotting Chou instead of punishing the media—a move that harms everyone. More people in Taiwan will grow to dislike the CCP and Huang An. Meanwhile, Huang An’s actions have damaged the feelings of people on both sides and exposed the failure of the Mainland’s work toward Taiwan.
From start to finish, the pro-independence camp won. They successfully exploited a girl to stir up sympathy in Taiwan, increasing hatred toward the Mainland and identification with independence—conveniently on the eve of the election.
While I’d prefer to believe this was a coincidence, the traces look like the deliberate arrangement of a highly skilled and terrifying “chess player.” This time, Huang An was likely used as a pawn.
The Next Step: Who Can Save Her?
From my observation, there is no evidence that Chou supports independence. A 16-year-old girl in the entertainment industry doesn’t have a deep understanding of politics. Holding a flag and saying she is from Taiwan is perfectly natural.
Regardless, since she is not “pro-independence” but a person of the R.O.C. who has become a sacrifice, she deserves help.
When A-Mei was blacklisted for singing the National Anthem, it was unificationist groups that went to the Mainland to negotiate, explaining that singing the anthem was not an act of independence. Only then was she unbanned. Chen Shui-bian couldn’t save her back then.
And now, who can go to the Mainland to explain that Chou Tzu-yu is not pro-independence and that the fault lies with media like SET News? Can we rely on Tsai Ing-wen or the New Power Party, who thrive on confronting the Mainland? Or a KMT social media manager who scolds the Mainland without understanding the situation? This is a truly bizarre predicament.