Taiwan wants to ban a spin-off of the platform iQiyi, the Chinese search engine company Baidu, as well as the online video platform of Tencent. The government fears that the streaming services with close ties to Beijing could have political and cultural influence on Taiwan and the elections. the Lea Deuber, Shanghai
The re-unification with Taiwan would be the 2019 one of the top priorities of the people’s Republic. This announcement by the Chinese President Xi Jinping at the national people’s Congress in March in Taipei in the past few weeks, much unrest. Now the Taiwanese government is responding with a possible ban of two Chinese streaming portals. “We fear that streaming services with close ties to Beijing could have political and cultural influence on Taiwan and the elections,” says Chiu Chui-Cheng of the Council for mainland Affairs, the coordinates in Taiwan, the relations with the people’s Republic.
Locked in a spin-off of the platform iQiyi, which is regarded as the Netflix of China, and Chinese search engine operator Baidu and the online video platform of Tencent. This was to expand this year to Taiwan. Wants to ban Taipei.
More distance to China
relations between China and Taiwan have been strained since the election of the island’s President, Tsai Ing-wen three years ago. The new government Tsais won the elections with the promise to go more distance to China. Beijing severed the relations officially, and increased the pressure through economic and political sanctions.
Because China considers Taiwan, which is holding democratic elections, own currency, own legal system, as a renegade country. Taiwan and the people’s Republic are separated since the civil war. The Communists had set in 1949 against the rival nationalists, and on the mainland, the people’s Republic. The Lege, under which fled the mainland opposite the island.
not To escalate the conflict, Taiwan has never declared formally its independence. Beijing maintains the claims to the island. Last Xi said the country will give no promise to refrain from the “use of force” when it comes to the reunion: “We reserve the right to take all necessary funds.”
Chinese Streaming platforms are banned in Taiwan for a long time. To work around this, Baidu, the company of OTT Entertainment. Founded by the former Taiwan head of iQiyi in October 2015, shortly before the Chinese platform was banned. Around two million people navigate to the page in Taiwan every day, many Chinese-language series.
From Taiwan’s point of view, makes use of Baidu, the local offshoot of a gap in the law. Taiwan now wants to launch an investigation against the platform. In order to guarantee the independence of the presidential election in January 2020, wants to Taipei even more firms due to possible Connections to Beijing to investigate. Already in the regional elections in the Winter of Taipei complained of Attempts to influence it. Also in the USA, Australia and new Zealand, observers have noted for years, attempts at manipulation by Beijing.