# Taiwan's Cultural Voice Under Pressure

> China restricts Taiwan's cultural visibility through soft power tactics.
- Title: Taiwan's Cultural Voice Under Pressure · Dw | Shortify
- Summary: China restricts Taiwan's cultural visibility through soft power tactics. China monitors Taiwan's international presence to suppress cultural expression.
- Keywords: taiwan, china, international, cultural, book, booker, political, soft power, news, world, politics, Taiwan's
- Source: Dw — https://dw.com/en/is-china-seeking-to-restrict-taiwan-s-cultural-presence/a-79610947?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: taiwan, china, international, cultural, book, booker, political, soft power, news, world, politics
## Taiwan Travelogue Prize
Taiwanese author Yang Shuang-zi's book won the 2026 International Booker Prize.

> In 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine, I made the explicit decision that rather than translating Sinophone works indiscriminately, I would only translate writing from Taiwan for the foreseeable future
## Political Translation Concerns
Yang translated the book into English but faced criticism over cultural representation.

> Literature and politics are directly connected
## China's Reaction
China's Taiwan Affairs Office criticized the book's focus on Taiwan's history.

> Writers from both sides of the Taiwan Strait should firmly uphold a national standpoint, respect historical facts, and squarely face the immense suffering inflicted upon the Chinese people ... by Japan's war of aggression and fascism
## Taiwan's Cultural Identity
Taiwanese culture blends Indigenous, Japanese colonial and local Han influences.

> The idea that politics can just be kept out of it doesn't exist
## Translation Controversy
Yang's interpreter shortened statements during a Munich book tour event.

> The interpreter later admitted that there had been oversights and shortcomings in the translation but denied deliberately deleting content due to their political stance
## China's Monitoring Tactics
China targets Taiwan's international engagement through soft power restrictions.

> The target of suppression and harassment primarily include outspoken individuals, exiled activists, diaspora community organizers, alongside their family members and close affiliates back home
## Cultural Suppression Cases
China removed Taiwan's representation from international competitions and monitored activists.

> In April this year, Taiwanese barista Lin Shao-hsing won the 2026 World Latte Art Championship in the United States
## International Response
The US and international bodies report China's interference with Taiwan's cultural visibility.

> It reflects the ambiguity and limitation of international law, that the PRC using soft power to restrict the visibility of Taiwan may not directly fall into international law arena
## Key takeaway

China monitors Taiwan's international presence to suppress cultural expression.