Don’t Play Into Beijing’s Divisive Efforts*
Over the years, a number of Taiwanese entertainers, sportsmen and -women and influencers have willingly parroted Beijing’s propaganda or shown the PRC flag. While such incidents understandably spark anger on Taiwan’s side, we should note that Beijing’s principal aim with all this is to sow division.
Yes, if you are a Taiwanese,* it is understandable that you would bristle when you see your country’s athletes and entertainers wave the flag of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), sing songs about the Yangtze river, wear the Chinese olympic uniform, or even seek naturalization in that country.
The co-optation of highly visible public figures is part of Beijing’s strategy toward Taiwan. But is it working? That depends on how you assess success. If the goal is to use those individuals as “evidence” that Taiwanese are now identifying as Chinese (Chinese defined as PRC citizens) or support unification with the PRC, then no, that policy is not working. Despite the handful of Taiwanese who agree to play along (some due to naivety, others out of pragmatism, as the “price” to pay for one to be able to make money in China), the number of people who define themselves as Taiwanese has continued to climb, while self-identification as Chinese remains in decline. Support for unification, meanwhile, remains in the low single-digits. In other words, if that particular strategy is aimed at winning the hearts and minds of the Taiwanese or to convince them that they are Chinese, then we can safely say that it is failing. The Taiwanese are too self-aware, and too pragmatic, for this type of co-optation to generate the kind of shift in self-perception.
However, that may not be what Beijing is aiming for. Instead, that instrument, part of its “sharp power” arsenal, attempts to accomplish two different things. The first one is to reinforce the perception domestically that Beijing has the situation under control and that only a small number of Taiwanese are actually opposed to what it terms as “reunification.” This claim, which flies in the face of all evidence to the contrary, is nevertheless one that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) continues to make, both domestically and on the international stage. Rather than admit that Beijing’s handling of Taiwan has been an abject failure, as I argue that it is, the CCP can turn around, parade those visible co-optees, and declaim that success is within reach.
The other component of Beijing’s strategy is, in my view, the most troubling one and the one where China has probably been most successful. Simply out, the co-optation serves as a means to divide Taiwanese society and exacerbate divisions. That this may be backfiring by alienating a segment of Taiwanese society doesn’t trouble Beijing. In fact, it welcomes the strong reactions, boycotts, and online opprobrium. It wants the government to overreact by punishing those who wave the PRC flag or agree to read from notes that very likely were penned by the Taiwan Affairs Office, for such reactions are bound to deepen the split between blues and greens, those who regard such behavior as the ticket for access to China and those who believe that doing so is an act of treason.
The initial response to this may be one of anger, but that should be tempered by the assurance that none of this is generating the kind of momentum that would lead to an exodus of talent, followed by a collective decision to upturn one’s identity in favor of an exogenous one.
The best response to all this, therefore, is to avoid falling into the trap that Beijing has set for the Taiwanese. Awareness of what Beijing is up to, and of what it hopes to achieve, is the key. The government, politicians, the media and people on social media must refrain from overreacting and demonizing those who, for whatever reason, agreed to be used by the Chinese propaganda establishment. Yes, the initial response to this may be one of anger, but that should be tempered by the assurance that none of this is generating the kind of momentum that would lead to an exodus of talent, followed by a collective decision to upturn one’s identity in favor of an exogenous one. And for those who still cannot let go of their anger in the face of such “treason,” they can take some satisfaction in the knowledge that at some point, the co-optees will do or say something that is bound to spark anger among China’s virulent ultranationalists, and quickly following that, the darlings will be discarded.
*By “Taiwanese” I refer to the civic membership in the political entity that is Taiwan/ROC, including its way of life and embrace of the democratic ideal as distinct from the PRC. In that context, the terms “mainlander” and “Taiwanese” are irrelevant, as both are citizens of, and ought to be united under, that political entity.
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