Chinese entertainment firm approached Tzuyu's family, offering market access in exchange for political statement

Taiwanese media have reported that Twice member Tzuyu was approached with an offer to enter the Chinese market in exchange for making a political statement, though the person identified as having made contact rebuffed any suggestion of political motive.

Taiwan's Mirror Media and other outlets reported Monday that a Chinese organization responsible for Taiwan affairs had identified Tzuyu as a new recruitment target and made contact with her family through veteran manager Zhao Shaowei.

According to Mirror Media, the offer stipulated that if Tzuyu publicly endorsed the "One China" principle and the position that "Taiwanese are Chinese," she would receive introductions to broadcasting groups, performance organizers and major agencies in Beijing and elsewhere — along with exposure opportunities rarely available to entertainers from Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Zhao Shaowei said no formal contract had been signed and that discussions had stalled because of ongoing contract renewal negotiations between Tzuyu and JYP Entertainment, maintaining that the matter had nothing to do with politics.

Zhao Shaowei is the younger brother of Zhao Shaokang, former chairman of China Television. Zhao Shaokang said he had no involvement in his brother's business, and added that the discussions with Tzuyu were unrelated to united-front operations and that the allegations amounted to misinformation.

Zhao Shaowei helped Jay Chou expand his career overseas. In September 2024, he founded Tianyi Yuedong Music in Taiwan, with registered capital exceeding the industry average for entertainment agencies.

Tzuyu's contract with JYP Entertainment is set to expire at the end of this year.

JYP Entertainment said Aug. 14 that "Twice is currently in a contract renewal discussion period, and we will inform fans as soon as the matter is confirmed."

Tzuyu's mother established Wei Hai Entertainment in Taiwan in November last year, and local media have suggested it could serve as a base for Tzuyu's activities in the Chinese-speaking world.

This is not the first time Tzuyu has been pressured to take a political stance.

In December 2015, a scene in which she held a Taiwanese flag on the MBC variety program "My Little Television" sparked controversy. On Jan. 15 the following year, a then-16-year-old Tzuyu issued an apology stating that "there is only one China and both sides of the strait" — a reference to China and Taiwan, which face each other across the Taiwan Strait.