China's 'Letter to Grandma' film sparks debate over cultural exchange and propaganda at Taiwan festival

China's film "Letter to Grandma," described by Singaporean media outlet Lianhe Zaobao as a propaganda piece, is scheduled for its Taiwan premiere at the 2026 Taoyuan Film Festival in August. The film, which originated from China's Chaoshan region, tells the story of a grandmother waiting for her husband who went abroad, and her grandson's journey to Thailand to uncover the tale of "Qiaopi" – remittance letters and money sent by overseas Chinese.

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We actively support exchanges and cooperation in cross-strait film and television culture, and hope more excellent Chinese films can be shown on the island.

China's Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Chen Binhua stated that the film, using "Qiaopi" as a vehicle, depicts a story of familial bonds transcending time and distance with restrained cinematography. He claimed the film has resonated widely among Chinese communities globally due to its delicate emotional portrayal and sincere narrative. Chen emphasized that the historical experiences of Chinese emigrating to Southeast Asia and Taiwan are shared memories for people on both sides of the strait, expressing hope that Taiwanese audiences would recognize their own elders' longing for their ancestral homeland and their connections to loved ones.

However, scholars like Hung Pu-chao, deputy executive director of Tunghai University's Center for Chinese Mainland Studies, view China's promotion of the film critically. Hung argues that Beijing aims to incorporate overseas Chinese into the "Chinese national community" narrative by leveraging shared bloodlines, culture, and historical memories. He points out that the film's themes of family separation, ancestral roots, and homesickness are strategically used by Chinese authorities to connect with the diaspora.

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China's promotion of 'Letter to Grandma' is to incorporate overseas Chinese into the narrative of the 'Chinese national community' through blood ties, culture, and historical memory.

Hung further explained that China employs various channels, including its Foreign Ministry and propaganda departments, to weave a consistent national narrative. The Taiwan Affairs Office, he stated, applies this strategy to Taiwan by using familiar Taiwanese terms like "Agong" (grandfather) and "Azu" (great-grandmother) to link family memories to the idea of shared origins, thereby serving the political agenda of "two sides belonging to one China." He warned that while kinship and nostalgia can lower resistance to political messaging, they also facilitate the infiltration of propaganda into daily life. Hung stressed that cultural exchanges should be based on equality and respect, and that Taiwan must remain vigilant to prevent cultural interactions from becoming conduits for unification efforts.

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The official purpose is already very clear. China uses kinship, nostalgia, and ancestral memory to bring national identity into cultural consumption, and then transforms cultural closeness into political identity.