Former Wanna One member Lai Kuanlin is currently under fire with Taiwanese netizens for celebration the National Day of the People's Republic of China on national television.
Lai Kuanlin is Taiwanese, born and raised in Taipei, Taiwan. However, during a promotional video made to celebrate the National Day of the People's Republic of China, Lai Kuanlin introduced himself, saying, "I am Lai Kuanlin. I am waiting for you in Taiwan, China." Taiwanese netizens found his statement and the fact that he is celebrating this Chinese national holiday on a music show problematic.
According to numerous media outlets on October 2, Friday, Lai Kuanlin appeared on a special music variety show which was being aired by the government-run television network, Chinese Central Television. During his appearance on the show, he was seen singing a Chinese song.
Why is this such a big deal? The public holiday, which is celebrated annually on October 1, is meant to commemorate the formal establishment of the People's Republic of China. On that day in 1949, the Chinese Communist Party announced their victory in the Chinese Civil War, which resulted in the Kuomintang retreat to Taiwan and the Chinese Communist Revolution, in which the Republic of China was replaced by the current People's Republic of China.
Due to the history that surrounds the holiday, Taiwanese citizens avoid celebrating the holiday. Additionally, most people in Taiwan consider themselves independent from the People's Republic of China and that Taiwan is not a province of China. In Taiwan, they consider China, including Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau. Because of that, Taiwanese citizens have slammed Lai Kuanlin for calling Taiwan a territory of China.
Taiwanese netizens have left numerous negative comments concerning Lai Kuanlin. Many have stated that if they think he is Chinese, then he should leave Taiwan and promote solely in China. Others have pointed out that numerous Taiwanese celebrities are working in China, but they never say that Taiwan is part of China.
Chinese netizens, however, have praised Lai Kuanlin, calling him a "patriotic youth."
This is not the first time Lai Kuanlin was embroiled in nationalistic controversy. In 2019, Lai Kuanlin shared a post to his official Weibo account, proclaiming that he supported the Hong Kong police. He also uploaded another photo of the Chinese flag and stated that he is "one of the 1.4 billion guardians of the Chinese flag".
During this time, numerous riots were held in Hong Kong due to the opposition to the handover of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China. During these riots, the Hong Kong police were accused of using excessive force, force against unspecific targets, and arresting people without a warrant. While Hong Kong and people from other parts of the world slammed the Hong Kong police for their actions, numerous Chinese netizens, including big-name celebrities, supported them.
When Lai Kuanlin was still competing on "Produce 101 Season 2", he was under fire for writing a letter that introduced himself as "Lai Kuanlin from China's Taiwan". His introduction led to backlash from Taiwanese citizens, with many expressing their anger for him on numerous community sites. Many had even called him a "disgrace to our country". Chinese netizens, however, praised him and showered him with encouragement.
What do you think of the situation?
