Culture Ministry takes issue with Jaw's Taylor Swift claim

Taipei, Jan. 2 (CNA) The claim by Kuomintang (KMT) vice presidential nominee Jaw Shau-kong (趙少康) that pop superstar Taylor Swift turned down an offer to perform in Taiwan due to "geopolitical risks" did not reflect reality, the Ministry of Culture said Monday.

During a televised debate between Taiwan's vice presidential candidates on Monday ahead of the Jan. 13 election, Jaw used the claim to criticize the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) cross-Taiwan Strait policy and argue that it was increasing tensions in the region.

He said that in his former capacity as chairman of the Broadcasting Corporation of China, he extended an offer to Swift to hold a concert at the Taipei Dome after the stadium opened its doors in November.

Jaw said the singer initially agreed, but later declined citing geopolitical risks.

The claim has not been independently confirmed or debunked, and the Ministry of Culture did not weigh in on the specifics of the claim in a statement issued later Monday after the debate.

Instead, it disputed Jaw's statement based on the many major bands that have held concerts in Kaohsiung since COVID-19 pandemic restrictions ended and the acts planning to come to Taiwan in 2024.

"These all serve as the best proof to show that what the KMT vice presidential candidate said was not true," the statement said, without providing any other comment on the Swift claim.

Among the acts that have performed in Taiwan in the past year were British rock band Coldplay, K-pop group Blackpink, and the Backstreet Boys, the ministry said.

In addition, K-pop group Super Junior and British singer Ed Sheeran have announced dates for their 2024 tours, which included a stop in Kaohsiung, it said.

In addition to pop artists, many well-known orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic, the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, and the Vienna Philharmonic, have also performed in the southern municipality, it said.

The ministry said it hoped candidates nominated by the KMT will support efforts to organize shows featuring international artists.

Despite the ministry's statement, Jaw's contention about the perception of Taiwan as a geopolitical risk was not unfounded.

At a Berkshire Hathaway's annual shareholders meeting in May 2023, renowned investor Warren Buffett said he sold more than US$4 billion in TSMC shares just months after buying them because of geopolitical risks.

Many other foreign institutional investors continue to pour money into Taiwan's stock market, however, buying a net NT$240 billion (US$7.81 billion) in shares in November and a net NT$180.1 billion in December.