Lu asks A-Mei to choose sides stance politics to politicians

“If a war breaks out between the two sides, I want to know whether she will go ahead with singing in Beijing, or choose to safeguard the island’s 23 million people...Which one is more important for her?” the unpredictable vice president told an interview with a radio station yesterday morning.

The outspoken Lu didn’t say how could A-Mei, a 31-year-old artist, could protect the island’s people in the event of a war.

Lu said she is upset at Chang Hui-mei, who is affectionately called A-Mei, saying she doesn’t uphold any political ideologies when asked by media in Beijing.

“I have always liked A-Mei, I think she’s simple...But how could someone possibly not have any political ideologies?” said Lu.

But Lu supposed the Puyuma Aboriginal singer watched her comments probably out of her desire to perform in Beijing, and because she’s still young.

A-Mei was apparently no less upset than Lu.

After avoiding the press for days, A-Mei came forward to talk to reporters yesterday.

As an artist, A-Mei said, she does not want to get involved in political issues, which should belong to the world of adults, and are too complicated for her to comment.

Premier Yu Shyi-kun, who said Thursday A-Mei “was forced to make concessions” to China in order to perform there, said the remark was to “criticize China and back A-Mei.”

“China is the only country that punishes other countries’ artists for singing their national anthems,” Yu said.

The two politicians did look to tone down their remark. But the damage was already done.

Critics of Lu and Yu said there was “something wrong with their heads.”

To undo the damage, Joseph Wu, who chairs Taiwan’s top mainland policy-making agency, said A-Mei should be encouraged to perform across the strait because she’s so widely popular.

Other artists also deserve the government’s blessing for their career plans in China, said Wu.

Wu said he didn’t find any mistakes in A-Mei’s comments.

The only mistake was for China to bully Taiwan, said Wu.

Early August, A-Mei, after being boycotted by China after she sang Taiwan’s national anthem at President Chen Shui-bian’s inauguration ceremony 2000, staged a huge concert in Beijing.

The concert came just weeks after she was forced to cancel her performance at a concert in the eastern city of Hangzhou after hundreds of student demonstrators chanted slogans and unfurled banners reading “pro-independence artists are not welcome.”

Similar scenes, however, were replayed during the Beijing concert when fierce scuffles broke out between the protesters and A-Mei’s fans outside Beijing Capital Indoor Stadium.

The demonstrators also demanded that A-Mei sing China’s national anthem March of The Volunteers and other patriotic songs. But Chinese police soon brought the situation under control.

A-Mei reportedly broke down and wept onstage, even as her Chinese supporters cheered her on and called out to her not to cry.

She told the estimated 10,000-strong audience that she had never felt such great pressure at a concert before.

Lu suggested A-Mei be tough when dealing with Beijing.

A-Mei should tell Beijing proudly that, “I am a citizen of the Republic of China, so it is my mission to sing ROC’s national anthem,” and “You can sing your national anthem, then why can’t I?” said the vice president.

China is one of the largest and the most rapidly growing market for Chinese-language music. And China’s sheer size makes it a goal for many singers to perform there.

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