Chinese dramas and films

The phenomenal success of the series "Pursuit of Jade" (逐玉) has pushed its leading man, Zhang Ling He, straight into the spotlight of politicians. And that is usually the last place you want to end up unless you’ve maxed out your defense stats to level 150 or brought backup armed with baseball bats.

First came the guardians of public morality in China, lamenting that this talented young actor was somehow not convincingly portraying a valiant ancient Chinese general. The younger generation is being raised all wrong. How can a general wear so much foundation and, excuse me, parade around on the big screen in his underwear?

The uproar was kicked off by the military media outlet "Junzhengping" (钧正平工作室), which declared that a "powdered-up general cannot shoulder the social responsibility of promoting masculinity". Then came the propagandists from "Zhejiang Xuanchuan" (浙江宣传), complaining about "values surrendering to appearance". China’s National Radio and Television Administration (广电总局), during a special industry meeting, demanded that creators "reject appearance worship" and return to a "script-first" approach. After that, both the actor and the production team took additional hits from Jinan Times, TVBS, and Oriental Daily News. Naturally, online moral crusaders joined the pile-on as well.

People talked it over and then more or less forgot about it. This kind of mood hits Chinese propagandists periodically — they start fighting for the "masculinity" of male actors.

Meanwhile, the series just kept going - climbing international rankings, securing new spots in regional audience groups, and showcasing the achievements of Chinese pop culture. Taiwan, in particular, also fell under the spell of this drama. But as we all know, China–Taiwan relations have a very stern "it’s complicated" status.

Right around then, Kuomintang chairperson Cheng Li Wen - the very same Kuomintang because of which it all got "complicated" in the first place — paid an official visit to mainland China. The Kuomintang is currently considered the opposition party in Taiwan. On April 10, Cheng Li Wen met with Xi Jinping during her official trip.

During discussions about easing cross-strait tensions, Cheng Li Wen shared a request supposedly coming from young people in Taiwan: invite Zhang Ling He to the island as a kind of goodwill ambassador to help reopen dialogue. According to her, one young person even said: “Why do you adults make everything so complicated? Just invite Zhang Ling He to Taiwan and things will work themselves out.” Cheng Li Wen later repeated the story to reporters after the visit.

On April 22, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office held a press conference where spokeswoman Zhang Han answered questions from journalists, including one asking how the office viewed Taiwan’s interest in inviting the actor.

Zhang Han responded that Chinese television dramas — especially "Pursuit of Jade" — have recently become hugely popular on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, and that lead actor Zhang Ling He has won the affection of Taiwanese viewers. According to Zhang Han, this clearly demonstrates how film and television can foster emotional and psychological connections between people. She also emphasized that China “has always supported exchanges between the film and television industries across the Taiwan Strait” and welcomed artists from mainland China visiting Taiwan to meet local audiences and strengthen mutual understanding.

Well, there you have it. Turns out foundation makeup not only doesn’t interfere with cultural diplomacy — it may actually help it along. One imagines the anti-makeup defenders of traditional masculinity weren’t thrilled by that development.

As for Zhang Ling He himself, he has made no public statements on the matter. Taiwan’s official government and ruling party have remained silent as well. However, the Taipei Audiovisual Production Association — the same organization that helped arrange actor Hu Ge’s visit in 2024 — said it views the possibility of Zhang Ling He visiting Taiwan with openness and optimism, assuming the timing and conditions are right. That suggests the professional community sees the idea as a positive one.

And that’s a good thing. It’s bad when propagandists start meddling in art — even if it’s mass art.

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