A Man Booker prize nominee has had his nationality changed from Taiwan to “Taiwan, China” after Beijing exerted pressure on the organisers of the literary prize. Wu Ming-Yi was put on the long list for the Man Booker international prize this month and posted the news on his Facebook page. “Even though this is only the first stage of the long list, I am extremely honoured to be on it and even more so given that my nationality is listed as Taiwan. I hope this novel will allow readers to see Taiwan’s history, view, and spirit.”
A little over two weeks later, his nationality, as described on Man Booker’s website, was changed in line with Beijing’s stance that the self-governed island almost 200 miles (320km) east of mainland China is part of China.
Wu wrote on his Facebook page that his new listed nationality did not reflect his “personal position on this issue” and said he would be making his views known to Man Booker. Man Booker’s Facebook page was soon filled with criticism and one-star reviews.
One reviewer wrote: “Nationality is as much a part of one’s personal identity as it is a political designation. An organisation that is supposed to celebrate and honor creative minds should be able to respect and acknowledge one of their finalist’s self-reported nationality.”
Man Booker said on Tuesday it was “seeking clarification” from the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office on the country’s official position on Taiwan. The awards organiser said it had received earlier advice that “Taiwan, China, was the correct, politically neutral form,” according to the spokesperson Truda Spruyt. Spruyt confirmed that the awards organiser had received complaints from the Chinese embassy.
“We are aware that Wu Ming-Yi defines himself as Taiwanese and have kept him informed throughout the process,” she said. Wu told the Guardian on Monday he was “waiting for clarification” on the issue.
His nominated novel, The Stolen Bicycle, follows a bicycle restorer in search of his father and who, in the course of restoring antique bicycles, retraces the history of modern Taiwan.
For most of the last six decades since China’s nationalist army fled to the island in 1949, Taiwan has ruled itself with its own democratically elected government, currency, military, and diplomatic ties with a handful of countries. It has never declared formal independence.
Over the past year, China has ramped up pressure on foreign companies that describe Taiwan as a country. The German airline Lufthansa and the UK’s British Airways dropped Taiwan from their lists of countries.
Beijing has also barred those on the wrong side of the Taiwan issue from access to its massive domestic entertainment market. Beijing recently banned the Taiwanese film Missing Johnny over claims the lead actor supports calls for Taiwan’s independence.
“China has already been using arts and culture to enforce its One China policy,” said Brian Skerratt, a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Chinese Literature and Philosophy, Academia Sinica in Taipei, Taiwan’s capital.
“Since China is the biggest audience for Chinese-language culture, that can hurt.”
Wu has declined to speak on the subject, referring journalists to his past work. When visiting a school in Macau two years ago, a student asked him for his thoughts on the relationship between China and Taiwan. According to his account of the exchange, Wu spoke carefully, choosing what he thought were neutral words.
“From my observations, most of the younger generation, or myself, don’t think about this question of returning to China. They live in a new cultural, political, and social environment,” he said.
Additional reporting by Wang Xueying
