Taiwan recently made the decision to cancel a planned concert in Taipei by a Chinese rapper, Wang Yitai, due to the use of the term “Taipei, China” in promotional materials. The scheduled performance on September 14 has been called off, and Wang Yitai has been banned from traveling to the island by Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, as announced on Sunday. The term employed by the rapper is seen as derogatory because it implies that Taipei is a Chinese city under Beijing’s authority, aligning with Beijing’s stance on potentially taking over Taiwan by force and undermining the island’s democracy.
Wang Yitai, relatively unknown outside of China, hails from the city of Chengdu and is associated with a rap label in the region. Chengdu, known for its vibrant arts scene, has gained recognition for hosting a variety of performers and venues. The cancellation comes in the wake of similar incidents, like when the rap group CD Rev, also from Chengdu, garnered attention for producing nationalist tracks that made disparaging references to Taiwan and former President Tsai Ing-wen.
China frequently prohibits Taiwanese artists, who are popular in the mainland, from performing if they show any support for Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party, which advocates for the island’s de facto independence. While Taiwan generally welcomes Chinese artists and views musical exchanges positively, the Mainland Affairs Council emphasizes the importance of such interactions being conducted with reciprocity and respect. Any materials that undermine Taiwan’s status will not be tolerated, the council stated.
Even though Taiwan’s official title is the Republic of China, it is commonly known simply as Taiwan. In international events such as the Olympics, Taiwan participates as “Chinese Taipei” out of deference to Beijing. The pressure from Beijing has led to a decrease in Taiwan’s formal diplomatic allies to just 12 countries.