TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — China has reportedly invited Taiwanese celebrities to Xinjiang to counter negative narratives surrounding its control of the autonomous region.
Taiwanese YouTuber Potter King (波特王) revealed in June that China had invited influencers to travel and film videos in Xinjiang, per Radio Free Asia. A second group of internet celebrities is reportedly set to travel to Xinjiang to tout its local environment and public security.
Cabinet Deputy Spokesperson Hsieh Tzu-han (謝子涵) said at a press conference on Thursday (Sept. 5) that information was being gathered about China’s activities, per CNA. She said Taiwanese should be aware of the risks of traveling to China, as their actions may not only have personal repercussions but also affect Taiwan’s reputation.
Potter King said YouTubers with tens of thousands of subscribers were targeted for recruitment. In the videos, they said positive things such as “the people in Xinjiang are friendly” and “it is safe to come here.”
Taiwanese YouTuber Ariel, who has 1.1 million subscribers from her travel videos, denied being invited by China. She said her trip was planned six months ago as a casual vacation with friends, and that she did not make money off the videos she posted.
Nevertheless, netizens on Threads criticized the influencers, saying China’s hospitality was an attempt to conceal facts about its repression of minority groups in Xinjiang.
Taiwan Professors Association President Chen Li-fu (陳俐甫) said China’s way of conveying messages through celebrity endorsements is a new form of publicity. He said the information would be more convincing and seen less as propaganda if it came from Taiwanese.
In addition to influencers, China's Taiwan Affairs Office hosted a delegation of Taiwanese businesspeople to Xinjiang in August to promote investment and industrial development opportunities. In September, another group of Taiwanese businesspeople is set to go to Xinjiang to explore investment opportunities at 21 key industrial supply chains.
