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Taipei pulls controversial MRT ads
By Mo Yan-chih / Staff reporter
The Research, Development and
Evaluation Commission advertisement placed in MRT stations in which China is
referred to as ¡§inland¡¨ is pictured in a photograph taken on Wednesday, before
the ads were removed.
Photo: Su Fang-ho, Taipei Times
The Taipei City Government yesterday
removed an advertisement at MRT stations after its content, which referred to
China as ¡§inland (¤º¦a),¡¨ drew public criticism that it showed a lack of national
dignity because the term is traditionally used by a colony to refer to its
mother country. However, the city government denied that the ad undermined
Taiwanese sovereignty.
The ad, designed by the city¡¦s Research, Development and Evaluation Commission
to promote Taipei¡¦s international competitiveness, featured an online
conversation between two Taiwanese and one Hong Kong resident about the
competitiveness of different cities.
The Hong Kong netizen applauded Taipei for ranking 11th in a global city
competitiveness survey, saying: ¡§[Taipei¡¦s] ranking was better than all the
inland cities on the mainland [referring to China]. Shanghai ranked 38th and
Beijing ranked 49th.¡¨
While the controversial ads were being removed from MRT stations, the city
government denied that the use of the term ¡§inland¡¨ was inappropriate.
Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (°qÀsÙy) said the advertisement used the term because it
is commonly used by Hong Kong residents, adding that the city government still
refers to China as ¡§mainland China.¡¨
¡§The ad simply adopted the idiomatic expression of people in Hong Kong, and it
was a good promotion [of Taipei¡¦s international competitiveness]. Officially,
the Taipei City Government refers to China as ¡¥mainland China,¡¦¡¨ Hau said on the
sidelines of a sports activity in Taipei when he was questioned by reporters
about the advertisement.
Commission head Yuan Nai-juan (°K¤D®S) also shrugged off criticism of the use of
the term ¡§inland¡¨ in describing China, but said the commission would replace it
with ¡§mainland China¡¨ in an updated version of the ads.
¡§The ad was simulating a conversation between Taiwanese and Hong Kong netizens,
and aimed to show Taipei¡¦s competitiveness in a creative way. The term ¡¥inland¡¦
is used by Hong Kong people, not the Taipei City Government,¡¨ she said.
The commission acknowledged that it has received several complaints from the
public, which said the term suggests that Taiwan is part of China. To avoid
further controversy, it removed the ads immediately.
Yuan said the commission would change the term to ¡§mainland China¡¨ before
putting the ads back up at MRT stations next week.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chen Chi-mai (³¯¨äÁÚ) said Hau should issue
a public apology, as the term belittles Taiwanese and is an attempt to pander to
China.
Chen said that he had complained earlier this year to Mainland Affairs Council
Minister Wang Yu-chi (¤ı§µa) and Ministry of Culture officials about the use of
the term ¡§inland.¡¨
¡§I pointed out that a number of Taiwanese entertainers and singers are using
this term when referring to China,¡¨ he said. ¡§It is very inappropriate.¡¦
¡§Some of them are doing shows in China and have to grovel to Chinese
authorities,¡¨ he said. ¡§Now even Taipei Mayor Hau is using the term. Doesn¡¦t he
know the connotation of this term?¡¨
A number of Taipei residents, when reached for comment, said they did not find
the term ¡§creative¡¨ or ¡§amusing.¡¨
¡§This advertising is really stupid,¡¨ an office worker surnamed Chou (©P) said.
¡§We would have only noticed that Taipei lags behind Tokyo, Hong Kong and
Singapore in competitiveness. The fact that Taipei beat the cities in mainland
China is not a big deal.¡¨
Additional reporting by Chiu Shao-wen
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