A Chinese dance troupe is to tour Taiwan this month, starting in Kaohsiung, with free performances open to the public. While on the surface it sounds innocuous enough, under scrutiny it reeks of Chinese pro-unification propaganda.
Following a report by the Liberty Times (the sister newspaper of the Taipei Times), which raised concerns that the shows could be a part of China’s “united front” campaign, the government banned the tour group’s leader from entering Taiwan. However, the troupe’s performers and its entourage were granted visas. While the government might be keen to appear reasonable and evenhanded, there is a strong argument for it pulling the plug on the entire event, given the number of red flags.
