KAOHSIUNG (TVBS News) — The Kaohsiung City Government expressed gratitude to Bruno Mars on Thursday (Sept. 12) for two unforgettable concerts but sidestepped the controversy over his social media posts, which sparked debate among Taiwanese fans.
The controversy arose after Mars initially posted a message on Instagram with the Taiwanese flag, thanking Taiwan for the shows on Sept. 7-8. However, he later changed the post to “Thank You Kaohsiung” and removed the flag. On Weibo (微博), Mars posted in simplified Chinese, “Thank you, Taiwan of China” (谢谢中国台湾), a phrase that drew mixed reactions on Taiwan’s social media.
City officials sought to downplay the dispute, stating that all people are global citizens and reiterating their appreciation for Mars' performances.
Kaohsiung City Councilor Chang Po-yang (張博洋), from the Taiwan Statebuilding Party (TSP, 台灣基進黨), weighed in with sarcasm, commenting that even "Mars" is apparently a part of China, pointing to the inescapable intersection of music and politics.
