If you ask for the public's opinion on what is the hottest issue in recent days they will tell you no other than Taiwanese artist Ziyu Zhou (Tzuyu).
After being made public enemy by Michael Huang on his Weibo and labeled a supporter of Taiwan's independence, netizens began to call for her banishment from Anhui TV's Spring Festival show. She was eventually removed from the lineup, as well as losing a cell phone endorsement deal with the Huawei company.
Under pressure, her agency JYP Entertainment made her issue a public apology video. However, as the events surrounding Tzuyu began to fester "divine intervention" stepped in to a great degree. On the Facebook page of the pro-Chinese KMT party, Taiwan's leader Ying-jeou Ma expressed his condolences and deep support of Tzuyu. Michael Huang was only able to use one instance of Tzuyu holding the flag of Taiwan in a Korean program. This did not mean she expressed support for Taiwanese independence at all. However, Sanlih TV news of Taiwan created speculation that Tzuyu was thoroughly insistent about being Taiwanese, and hailed her as the "Light of Taiwan". Therefore, the tag of "Taiwanese independence" was merely forced upon her.
This sequence of events set off a war of words between social media users from China and Taiwan. Mainland China netizens turned their anti-independence stance into an anti-Taiwan one, and expressed their support for unification with China by military force. The more these mainland netizens attacked Tzuyu the more emotional the confrontation became, which contributed to a greater impulse for independence in Taiwan. Due to this, the Chinese Office of Taiwan Affairs responded with a gesture of reconciliation for the two sides in regards to the issues surrounding Tzuyu. They stated that there was a risk of undermining the mutual trust between China and Taiwan if this continued on.
Many youth from Taiwan born in the 90s and 2000s have a strong Taiwanese identity, so this does not only apply to Tzuyu. The "crusade against Tzuyu" ended in a victory when she made her apology, but when one looks back at the whole event one will discover unspeakable pain within it.
For many mainland netizens their condemnation of Tzuyu was only an opportunity to indulge in debauchery. Desiring to "ban" someone may seem entertaining, but this is simply shortsighted ostrich mentality that fails to understand the effect this has on millions of Taiwanese youth. This accumulated hostility used the excuse of "political correctness" to harm an ordinary person.
Tzuyu, along with many Taiwanese youth will leave their mark in this era. The youth of our land and the 'Tzuyus' of Taiwan should sit together and talk rationally to each other about history. For now and for the future, they will find a suitable way to move forward.
Comments:
1. This is rational and fair commentary. Unfortunately the social mentality is full of violent hostility, and in context of the internet, real human voices are often unheard.
[+541]
2. Taiwanese celebrities are regarded as farts. There's no support for you guys in the mainland market. You have no weight here.
[+295]
3. She is a Taiwan independence activist and her apology gave additional points to it. Whether or not that was her purpose, her apology made right before the Taiwanese election created more division, did it not? I did not want to curse but I couldn't help it. She is an expression of Taiwanese independence.
[+243]
4. "The youth of our land and the 'Tzuyus' of Taiwan should sit together and talk rationally to each other about history. For now and for the future, they will find a suitable way to move forward." *thumbs up*
[+178]
5. The fact that the pro-independence party of Taiwan (DPP) seized Chinese people from both the mainland and Taiwan, especially young people, is political folly. Youth from the mainland should continually reflect. When the only thing you do is shout you won't understand political history and will remain ignorant.
[+146]
Sohu Comments
Comments:
1. Unification with Taiwan by military force is inevitable, and the unification will be impossible to curtail.
[+390]
2. This article is objective and impartial.
[+210]
3. The discussion is garbage.
[+112]
4. The media and Taiwan independence activists are very soft, huh.
[+87]
5. Strong people make things happen by first trying trickery and then applying brute force. Lao Tzu would have done it this way, but you would only look helpless. Sometimes you have to settle for only the abilities you have.
[+34]
iFeng Comments
“讨伐”周子瑜，是民粹的狂欢
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