Xinyu's Political Stance Sparks Controversy in K-Pop: The One China Principle Explained

Time of India

14-07-2025

Chinese member Xinyu of the multinational girl group tripleS
When Korean Wave Meets Politics - The Xinyu Controversy Storm
Imagine casually scrolling through your favorite K-pop idol's messages and suddenly getting hit with a political bombshell that could end careers.
That's exactly what happened when Xinyu, the Chinese member of the 24-member girl group tripleS, went full political mode on the fan communication platform fromm.
The Beijing-born idol didn't just dip her toes into controversial waters - she straight-up dove in. In messages written in Chinese and auto-translated to Korean, Xinyu boldly declared, "Macau has been Chinese from the beginning. Hong Kong and Taiwan are the same."
But the real shocker was her reaction when fans warned her about potential backlash.
"People who don't agree with me shouldn't follow me on fromm. Why should I be scared of being scolded? Did I say something wrong?" she wrote with the kind of confidence that would make even the most seasoned politicians nervous. This level of boldness is like someone in our country making extremely sensitive statements about Kashmir and asking "What's the problem?" - that's how daring this was.
by Taboola
by Taboola
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The "One China" Principle - A Political Minefield in K-Pop
For those wondering what all the fuss is about, Xinyu's statements align perfectly with China's "One China" policy. This principle essentially claims that mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau are all one unified country under Chinese government rule.
For us as young people, this might feel a bit complex. It's similar to saying all states in our country form one federal nation, but the situation is much more sensitive.
Taiwan has a virtually independent government and economic system, while Hong Kong claims autonomy even under "One Country, Two Systems." It's like the complexity of Puducherry or Delhi having completely different political systems while still being part of our nation.
This policy became a massive source of tension, especially after the 2019-2020 Hong Kong protests when people literally took to the streets opposing Beijing's growing influence.
Most celebrities would avoid this kind of political hot potato, but Xinyu grabbed it with both hands.
This isn't the first time Chinese K-pop idols have found themselves in this predicament. In 2019, several Chinese stars including Jackson Wang from GOT7 and Lay Zhang from EXO publicly supported the "One China" policy during the Hong Kong protests. It's almost like a rite of passage for Chinese idols - support the policy or face consequences back home.
Lay Zhang from EXO
The Bigger Picture - When Entertainment Meets Politics
This incident reflects the broader challenges facing the K-pop industry's relationship with China. Since 2016, China has maintained unofficial sanctions on Korean cultural content following South Korea's deployment of the THAAD missile defense system. It's been a rollercoaster relationship with occasional thaws followed by sudden freezes.
The situation is particularly complex for groups like tripleS, which includes members from various countries, including Nien, who has dual Taiwanese/Vietnamese citizenship. Imagine how awkward group meetings must be when one member is essentially claiming another member's homeland as part of her own country.