Ever since Taiwanese director Wu Nien-chen (吳念真) expressed support for fellow Taiwanese film director Ko I-chen (柯一正), who ran on the Taiwan-centric New Power Party ticket in the January general elections, Wu has been labelled a pro-independence activist by many nationalistic Chinese netizens.

Wu recently shot back at the Chinese netizens who, on Weibo, have accused him of making money off the Chinese while being pro-Taiwan independence. In a press conference on July 26, the famous director with a voice of gold also revealed that he was constantly attacked on social media by Chinese netizens and called a “pro-independence dog” (台獨狗). Some even wrote that "next time you visit the Mainland [sic], you will be killed."

His response to the netizens: “You’re the ones who invited me.”

In an interview with Up Media, Wu responded with calm to the wave of online attacks by Chinese netizens, saying they should not jump to conclusions or be "oversensitive."

Wu had to postpone the theater tour of “Human Condition 3” (《人間條件 3》) in March amid heightening tensions in cross-Strait relations, the Chinese-language Apple Daily reported recently.

Wu is not the only Taiwanese artist to have been banned from China recently. Taiwanese actor Leon Dai (戴立忍) was removed from an upcoming Chinese film, and rumors say that Taiwanese and Hong Kong artists who wish to work in China are being asked to sign a declaration promising not to “split the country.”

First Editor: Olivia Yang
Second Editor: J. Michael Cole