Taiwan considers letting Chinese stars perform (AP)

HONG KONG - Taiwan is considering letting mainland Chinese stars perform on the island amid warming ties between the two rivals, a Taiwanese official said Tuesday.

Chen Su-nann, section chief at the Government Information Office's Department of Broadcasting Affairs, told The Associated Press that the government is considering removing current restrictions that limit the exposure of Chinese actors and singers to the island's TV and radio shows. They are not allowed to stage concerts or act in live drama productions.

Taiwanese stars don't face similar restrictions in China, Chen said.

"We want to steer cultural exchange toward a situation of equality and mutual benefit," Chen said.

China and Taiwan split amid civil war in 1949, but the mainland government still claims the democratic, self-ruled island as its territory and has threatened to attack the island if it formalizes its de facto independence.

Ties were strained during the recently ended eight-year term of former President Chen Shui-bian, who favored independence and stressed a separate Taiwanese identity.

Chen's successor, Ma Ying-jeou, however, wants stronger relations with China. The two sides have already agreed to set up quasi-official representative offices in each territory and plan to expand tourism and charter flights.

Taiwan's possible dropping of the ban on concerts and performances by Chinese performers will likely be welcomed by the booming mainland industry.

China and Taiwan share the same Mandarin language, but Chinese-language pop culture has long been dominated by Taiwan and former British colony Hong Kong, whose stars carry wide appeal in the mainland and are frequently featured in TV ads.

Few mainland Chinese stars, however, have achieved the same level of success in Hong Kong or Taiwan.

Taiwan's film industry is already benefiting from loosened rules on Chinese stars acting in Taiwanese productions shot on the island, another Taiwanese official said.

Chinese stars were banned from such Taiwanese productions until last July, when the government implemented a quota of two Chinese actors per movie.

The appearance of Chinese actors in Taiwanese movies broadens their appeal in the Chinese market and helps draw funding from Chinese investors, said Chen Chun-jer, director of the Government Information Office's Department of Motion Pictures.

Taiwanese filmmakers are happy with the two-actor quota but the government is open to raising the limit, Chen said.

Mainland Chinese movie productions are already allowed to shoot in Taiwan with Chinese actors.