Taiwanese entertainers' Beijing parade posts not 'cooperative activity': MAC

Taipei, Sept. 4 (CNA) The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said Thursday that social media posts by Taiwanese entertainers sharing content from China's state-run broadcaster about a military parade in Beijing do not, in its initial assessment, constitute "cooperative activity" with Chinese authorities in violation of the Cross-Strait Act.

"The wording of those posts appeared to be deliberately crafted," MAC Deputy Minister and spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said at a regular news briefing in Taipei.

He said the posts "at first glance" did not undermine the status of the Republic of China (ROC, Taiwan's official name) or advocate the use of force to resolve cross-strait issues -- actions that could violate the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (Cross-Strait Act).

The posts in question were shared on Wednesday by entertainers Wu Kang-ren (吳慷仁) and Shu Qi (舒淇), among others, and promoted a China Central Television (CCTV) livestream of the parade in Beijing's Tiananmen Square marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and the Second Sino-Japanese War.

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The posts carried slogans such as "Immortal are the martyrs, may peace last forever" and "Remember history, honor the fallen."

Paragraph 1, Article 33-1 of the Cross-Strait Act prohibits individuals from engaging in "any form of cooperative activity" with Chinese agencies deemed political in nature, including the military, the administration, or those conducting political work against Taiwan or affecting national security.

"What matters most to us is whether this act of cooperation undermines the status of the ROC, seeks to erase the ROC's sovereignty, or advocates the use of force to resolve cross-strait issues," Liang said.

He added that not all cross-strait interactions automatically constitute punishable violations. Under the law, individuals who break Article 33-1 can be fined NT$100,000 (US$3,257) to NT$500,000, with repeat penalties possible.

Although Wu and Shu are unlikely to face penalties for Wednesday's posts, the MAC last week concluded its first investigation into Taiwanese entertainers accused of "cooperating" with Chinese authorities by sharing CCTV content.

Twenty-three entertainers, whose names were not disclosed, received verbal warnings for reposting a CCTV message in early March that read, "Let's repost this together! This is the only designation for Taiwan! #ChinaTaiwanProvince," or for sharing similar content during China's "Joint Sword" military drills around Taiwan in May and October last year.

Liang said at the time that the investigation was prompted by their "acts of cooperation with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its government and military," stressing that CCTV is directly controlled by the CCP.

Responding to criticism that the definition of "cooperative activity" remains unclear, Liang said the investigation and warnings should help clarify where the line is.

"But it's impossible to set a formula as simple as one plus one equals two," he added.

Meanwhile, when asked whether former Kuomintang (KMT) Chairperson Hung Hsiu-chu's (洪秀柱) attendance at the Beijing parade violated the Cross-Strait Act, Liang said she "does not appear to fall under the provisions of Article 9-3."

That article bars former deputy heads or higher-level officials in defense, foreign affairs, mainland affairs, or national security, as well as generals and intelligence chiefs, from attending events organized by Chinese agencies that "harm national dignity."

Liang said Hung's previous role as Legislative Yuan deputy speaker, which she held from 2012 to 2016, "should not fall under the targets regulated by Article 9-3."