Taiwanese singer irks mainland Chinese fans in flag row

Taiwanese singer and songwriter Deserts Chang, also known in mainland China as Zhang Xuan, 32, has recently been caught in a controversy over cross-strait relations after pictures of the singer holding a Taiwan flag on stage were published online.

Her performances for the rest of the year in the mainland, including an 18,000-seat concert in Beijing on December 30, have now all been postponed, according to Chang's agent and mainland Chinese organisers. 

Chang also wrote in an blog post that she might cancel the December 30 concert herself. 

“Without seeing what really happened or discussing [it] with me, some have already reached [their own] conclusions. I am willing to bear all the losses and cancel the concert. I hope this decision can put a stop to the troubles,” Chang said in a statement published on her Sina Weibo account on Tuesday. 

However, her agent Cai Yuqing told the South China Morning Post on Wednesday that sponsors and organisers were still working hard negotiating with mainland Chinese government regulators to keep the Beijing concert on track.

“She doesn’t have to do the concert, but it would be her first mainland concert on that large scale,” said Cai. “She feels guilty seeing everyone working so hard for her.”