In the Washington Post, journalist Arthur Tam writes about the recent history of rich cultural exchange between mainland China and Hong Kong and Taiwan, which is now under threat from China’s newly agressive stance towards these territories. Tam points to the Beijing-backed “national security” law that passed in Hong Kong recently as an effort to reign in the relative autonomy that these territories have enjoyed. Here’s an excerpt from the article:
As China started developing, creative exchanges flourished within the region despite political differences. Even today, Hong Kong artists and Taiwanese celebrities hold considerable cultural clout, working in the mainland and appearing and performing on variety shows and television dramas. On mainland singing competition shows, contestants often perform songs by Hong Kong or Taiwanese artists.
However, the Chinese government’s increasingly hostile political efforts are now eroding the collaborative efforts within the Chinese-speaking region, forcing artists to take sides and segregating both Hong Kong and China’s creative industries. This is furthering a cultural rift.
Image of Chinese president Xi Jinping via HW News.