Chinese media and globalization

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Notes

^1. This historical sketch of the spatial dynamics of Chinese commercial cinema is based on a more detailed argument in Curtin, 2007 and Curtin, in progress.

^2. Interestingly, as the fortunes of the industry began to teeter, Taiwan was entering into a period of creative ferment during the 1990s, due in part to the end of martial law. The island society opened up both creatively and politically during a period of unequaled prosperity. It also enjoyed peculiar benefits as a result of its Cold War status, first from its alliance to the United States and then due to its isolation, as US government policy transferred attention to the People's Republic. This resulted in a necessary cosmopolitanism as a hedge against diplomatic isolation. The Taiwanese government courted new allies abroad, businesses invested heavily in the mainland, and cultural and educational institutions promoted engagement with counterparts overseas. By the turn of the century Taiwan had arguably become the most prosperous, independent, and cosmopolitan of Chinese societies. And its media companies – now largely shorn of direct state ownership and oversight – readily expressed their desire to become regional and even global players, especially in light of the anticipated decline of Hong Kong media under the rule of the PRC. Although their ambitions have been thwarted on many fronts, Taiwanese media remain a significant transnational influence, as Beng Huat Chua's essay suggests.