Red Star Rising: Uncovering the Hidden Agenda Behind Andy Lau’s ‘China’ Performance in Taipei
Andy Lau’s performance of “Chinese” at the Taipei Arena sparked controversy. Photo: Reprinted from Akio Yaita’s Facebook
Newtalk News
Chinese Hong Kong star Andy Lau will hold a concert in Taiwan for the first time in 11 years.He will hold four consecutive concerts starting November 1. However, Andy Lau’s songs include the song “Chinese” which has created a stir for netizens. Questioning the political meaning of performance. Wang Yichuan, CEO of the Democratic Progressive Party Policy Association, also questioned on social media whether the song Andy Lau is singing in the Taipei Arena is similar to his concert scene in mainland China and is a very Chinese design. In this context, Japan’s senior media personality Akio Yaita said, the industry does not distinguish between national boundaries, of course there is no problem with singers from China or Hong Kong singing in Taiwan, but what cannot be ignored is Andy Lau. There is an official status as a “China Film Association” “Vice Chairman.
Akio Yaita noted that when you open the official website of the China Film Association, you will see the following introduction: “The China Film Association (hereafter referred to as the China Film Association) was founded in 1949. It is a professional people’s organization. It is led by the Communist Party of China. Filmmakers from all ethnic groups across the country are the bridge between the party and the government and the film industry. It is clear that the association is not a private organization, but a tool used by the Chinese Communist Party to carry out propaganda at home and abroad.
Akio Yaita said that as we all know, China’s military aircraft and warships frequently harass the Taiwan Strait and threaten the safety of every Taiwanese life and property. Now inviting Andy Lau for a concert in Taipei is the Ukrainian equivalent of inviting Russian singers to sing in Kiev; From the point of view of the international community, this is a very unbelievable situation.
Yaita Akio said, but of course some Taiwanese singers are also doing concerts in China. But the content of their songs is strictly limited. Furthermore, to win the opportunity to perform in China, these singers often have to declare their loyalty to China and even express support for the CCP’s military exercises against Taiwan. However, when Andy Lau comes to Taiwan to perform, there are no restrictions on the content.
For example, Andy Lau sang “China”, which contained the following lyrics:
Many dreams are hidden in five thousand years of wind and rain
Yellow face and black eyes always smile
Eight thousand miles of mountains and rivers are like music
No matter where you come from, where you are going
We carry the same tears, the same pains, the past pains in our hearts
Same blood, same kind, future and dreams, let’s explore together
Holding hands, whoever you are, I will walk forward with my head held high, letting the world know that we are all Chinese.
Akio Yaita believes that the message conveyed by this song is similar to the political slogans often created by the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council of Taiwan: “Blood is thicker than water,” “One family on both sides of the Taiwan Strait,” and “Oppose Taiwan independence.”
Akio Yaita noted that what the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council most wants to see is the song’s influence in Taiwan. It began to spread among Andy Lau’s fans and eventually became widely sung among young people in Taiwan. If this situation really occurs, it may be included in their textbooks as a “classic case of cognitive warfare” in the future.