Chinese singer denied entry to Taiwan after referencing 'Taipei, China'

Taipei, Aug. 25 (CNA) A Chinese singer who was set to perform in Taiwan in mid-September had his entry application denied by the Taiwanese authorities after he used the term "Taipei, China" in his promotional materials, local media reported on Sunday.

Wang Yitai (王以太), a rapper from the Cheng Du Corporation rap label with over 5 million fans on Weibo (a social media platform in China), was originally scheduled to hold his first solo concert in Taipei on Sept. 14 and 15 as part of his tour following the release of his third album, Love Me Later, according to information from the ticketing website KKTIX.

As of 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, tickets for the Sept. 14 concert, priced between NT$1,190 (US$37.43) and NT$2,900 (US$91.23), were all sold out, but there were still some available for the concert the next day, the ticketing website showed.

Local newspaper Liberty Times reported on Sunday that Taiwan's government agencies, including the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), found that Wang had posted promotional images on the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu, featuring a signboard with "Beijing South Station: Beijing to Taipei, China" in the background, along with a caption in the post stating, "Next stop: Taipei, China."

The official investigation also found that sales for Wang's Taipei concert began on July 1, which was before the concert organizer applied for Wang's entry with Taiwan's government on July 10, according to the report.

In response to the Liberty Times report, the MAC said later on Sunday that Wang's promotional content had violated the "Regulations Governing the Approval of Entry of People of the Mainland Area into the Taiwan Area," and that relevant authorities had held a cross-ministerial review and, per the law, decided to deny his application.

Taiwan's government welcomes mainland Chinese artists performing in Taiwan and is pleased to see cross-strait exchanges through music, but such exchanges should be conducted under the principles of equality and mutual respect, the MAC said.

"Any publication or promotion that degrades Taiwan's status is unacceptable," the council added.