'no thanks':
Musician Hsieh Ho-hsien rejected an offer to join the party and a promise of NT$10 million, saying he would rather earn money honestly.
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By Chen Yufu and Jason Pang
China's government is aiming to use Taiwanese entertainers and social media figures to recruit members and set up a political party in Taiwan, a person who reportedly received a letter of intent from China said yesterday.
Singer Alexis Ho and musician Hsieh Ho-hsien, known as “R-chord,” told reporters in a letter sent to them by a Beijing-based media company.
The letter reportedly outlined plans to form a political party with about NT$450 million (US$13.91 million).
Photo: AP
Citing the letter, Ho said the Pro-Taiwan Party (Taiwan Support Peace) is not aligned with the pan-blue or pan-green factions but can cooperate with either, adding that the party's core belief is promoting peace.
She said she knew of other entertainers who had received letters claiming they could earn more than NT$10 million a year through partnerships with more than 10 Chinese media companies, offering endorsement and sponsorship deals, music concerts, TV shows and public appearances.
He said the recruitment guide said that party affiliation would not pose any problems for participants and that they did not need to invest any money.
But they must agree to the statement, titled “Establishing a New Form of Cross-Strait Relations”, and support it by posting it on their social media accounts, Ho said.
The letter said the NT$450 million was registered in a bank fund in a Caribbean tax haven so it could be transferred to Taiwan because of Taiwan's restrictions on overseas donations and financial support to political organizations.
Entertainers and celebrities will take up positions in the party leadership, while media companies in Beijing and Henan will be in charge of funding and other efforts, the letter said, adding that the party will field candidates in the 2026 September 1st local elections.
Xie said he received three letters inviting him to join as a “founding member” with the promise of financial rewards for his work in China.
He said he was referring to holding a party congress in Taipei next month.
Hsieh claimed the letter had already compiled a comprehensive list of Taiwanese actors, TV hosts, models, news anchors, content creators and social media figures, and named a well-known singer as party chairman and another celebrity as deputy chairman, both of whom reportedly had previous close ties to the Democratic Progressive Party.
He said it was clear that China's new “united front” campaign was aimed at using local and online celebrities to influence young people in Taiwan.
“In my case, I said no. I grew up in Puli Township, Nantou County and am proud to be Taiwanese. I don't need the money China promised me. I can earn NT$10 million through my honest work,” Hsieh wrote online.
The Mainland Affairs Council said it was aware of the letter and would try to verify the information, adding that if Taiwanese entertainers receive funding from the Chinese government or Chinese Communist Party, they are breaking the law and may be violating the Anti-Infiltration Law.
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