American singer Bruno Mars found himself in hot water after posting “Thank you, Taiwan, China ❤️” on mainland Chinese social media platform Weibo on Sep. 11. In his post, Mars also attached a 43-second video showing him singing with his fans at his concerts held in the southern Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung on Sep. 7 and 8. The concerts drew more than 150,000 attendees.
Background
The relationship between mainland China and Taiwan is a sensitive issue, with Taiwan’s geopolitical status being disputed for decades. Mars’ choice of words in his Weibo post sparked controversy, as it appeared to categorise Taiwan as part of China, a stance that many Taiwanese strongly oppose. The use of simplified Chinese, the script used in mainland China, instead of traditional Chinese, which is used in Taiwan, further fuelled the backlash.
Taiwanese fans enraged
Some Taiwanese online users were quick to criticise Mars for his Weibo post. They accused him of undermining Taiwan’s distinct identity by referring to it as “Taiwan, China.” According to Taiwan News, the post’s language choice also led to questions about whether Mars was genuinely thanking his Taiwanese fans.
Defence and further backlash
In response to the criticism, some of Mars’ Taiwanese fans defended him by pointing out that he had posted “Thank You Taiwan,” along with the Republic of China (ROC) flag and a heart emoji, on his Instagram after the concerts. However, this defence was short-lived as Mars later changed his Instagram post caption to “Thank You Kaohsiung” and removed the ROC flag, leading to further disappointment among his Taiwanese supporters.
Broader implications
This incident highlights the ongoing tensions between mainland China and Taiwan, and how international celebrities can inadvertently become entangled in geopolitical disputes. Mars’ attempt to express gratitude to his fans ended up sparking a debate on national identity and sovereignty, illustrating the complexities artists face when navigating politically sensitive regions.
