Pop music phenomenon Taylor Swift has unexpectedly become a point of contention in Taiwan as the island’s election cycle enters its final stretch.

In an interview with Fox News on Thursday, Congressman Mike Gallagher (R-WI), chairman of the House China committee, listed examples of alleged Chinese attempts to influence neighboring Taiwan’s upcoming election, including “spy balloons” and threats to cancel a trade agreement.

“It’s gotten so bad… that the KMT—the more pro-China party—is even accusing the ruling party—the DPP—of making it impossible for Taylor Swift to come perform in Taiwan—so you know it’s serious,” Gallagher said.

 

Taiwan is gearing up for its elections on January 13, when the island of 23 million will choose its fifth directly elected president and the political makeup of its national legislature. China has warned Taiwanese voters they face a critical choice: peace or war.

Taylor Swift performs in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on November 24, 2023. Swift has unexpectedly become a point of contention in Taiwan politics.TAS RIGHTS MANAGEMENT VIA GETTY IMAGES
The China hawk was referring to comments made during Taiwan’s televised vice presidential debate Monday by Jaw Shaw-kong of main opposition party the Kuomintang (KMT).

Jaw took aim at the China policy of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), saying it had created an environment that was scaring off foreign artists and businesspeople alike.

Jaw, who chairs a major national broadcasting company, claimed that last year he asked Swift to perform at the Taiwanese capital’s newly opened Taipei Dome. The “Shake It Off” singer initially accepted his offer but later changed her mind, fearing a Taiwan Strait conflict, he said.

Jaw then warned that foreign investors would steer clear of the island for the same reason.

The alleged invitation to Swift to perform in Taipei has not been independently verified.

Newsweek reached out to Taylor Swift ‘s management with a request for comment.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture took issue with the vice presidential hopeful’s remark, saying it was out of step with reality, without mentioning Swift specifically.

The ministry cited recent and planned concerts by British band Coldplay, K-pop group Blackpink, British singer Ed Sheehan, and the New York Philharmonic, and others as examples of foreign outfits willing to make Taiwan a stop on international tours.

As for Swift, all may not be lost for Taiwanese fans of the 34-year-old genre-bender.

On Tuesday, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an told local media that negotiations are underway to bring her to the city while her billion-dollar Eras Tour is in Asia later this year.

The KMT mayor then took a swipe at the DPP-led government, asserting his party was more qualified for fostering a peaceful and stable geopolitical climate.

Questions about the risks of investing in Taiwan, a potential flashpoint, are not new.

In May 2023, business mogul Warren Buffett’s conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway sold the last of its shares in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, the world’s largest contract chipmaker. Buffett had voiced deep concerns over the simmering tensions between Beijing and Taipei.

Foreign direct investment in Taiwan fell by about 28 percent in the first eight months of 2023, according to data from the Taiwanese economic ministry, though it’s unclear how much of this is linked to geopolitical concerns. FDI in China also took a hit, with the country reporting negative growth for Q3 2023, the first time this has happened since the country began publishing such data.

China claims Taiwan as its territory, though Beijing’s Communist Party has never ruled the island. In addition, a large majority of Taiwanese reject the prospect of unification, according to recent polling.

In a televised New Year’s Eve message on Sunday, Chinese leader Xi Jinping reiterated his ambition for unification with Taiwan, calling it a “historical inevitability.”

In her speech the following day, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen of the DPP said cross-strait relations should be determined by the will of Taiwan’s people.