Taiwan's government slams Taiwanese artists' China propaganda posts

Taipei, March 10 (CNA) Taiwan's government issued a video calling for the "immediate stop to actions harming national sovereignty" on Monday after a number of popular Taiwanese artists shared Chinese propaganda posts claiming that Taiwan is a "province" of China.

The Taiwanese singers, actors and TV anchor shared messages from Chinese state-media outlet Central China Television (CCTV) amplifying remarks by China's Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅) that contradict Taiwan's official policy on cross-Taiwan Strait relations.

Wang, who is also a member of the central committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), said at a press conference at China's National People's Congress on March 7 that "Taiwan's only designation at the U.N. is 'Taiwan Province, China.'"

More than a dozen Taiwanese artists based in China -- including Patty Hou (侯佩岑) and Ouyang Nana (歐陽娜娜) -- have shared the CCP propaganda messages on Chinese social media platform Weibo, prompting an official response from Taiwan.

"The Republic of China [Taiwan's official name] is a sovereign and independent country, and Taiwan has never been a part of the People's Republic of China," said Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正), the head of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), in the video.

"A very small number of Taiwanese have repeatedly echoed Chinese Communist Party officials in undermining national sovereignty and seriously harming Taiwan's interests in order to pursue personal gain on the mainland," Chiu continued.

"I believe that most Taiwanese people strongly condemn this," he said.

Chiu, who heads the highest-level agency in Taiwan tasked with managing relations with China, said the CCP has "for a long time [...] mobilized Taiwanese artists to make political statements" at specific times.

In recent days, he said, some Taiwanese artists have echoed calls to "destroy their own country" which is "something that all citizens of the Republic of China [Taiwan] cannot tolerate and feel contempt for."

"We call on these artists to immediately stop actions that undermine national sovereignty," he said.

Freedom of speech is protected under the Constitution of the Republic of China (Taiwan), and Chiu did not suggest that the artists in question had committed any crimes.

However, Chiu warned that under Article 33-1 of the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area, Taiwanese people are legally prohibited from cooperating with any agencies of the Chinese government, its ruling party, or its military.