SHANGHAI/TAIPEI (Reuters) – China’s film regulator on Wednesday said it was suspending mainland Chinese movies and their personnel from participating in Taiwan’s annual Golden Horse Film Festival this year, without giving a reason.
The China Film Administration made the announcement in a statement on its official WeChat account.
The move comes after the event, the Chinese-speaking world’s version of the Oscars, last year became a lightning rod for questions about Taiwanese independence, sparking a debate between Taiwanese and mainland stars as well as netizens.
The state of ties between Beijing and the self-ruled island has since become more tense, with China announcing that it would stop issuing individual travel permits for Taiwan to Chinese travelers last week.
Reuters was not immediately able to reach the organizers of the Golden Horse Film Festival for comment.
Reporting by Brenda Goh in Shanghai and Yimou Lee in Taipei; Editing by Michael Perry