TAIPEI: Taiwan's opposition has warned that Chinese authorities are seeking to make Taiwanese entertainers identify with the mainland by influencing their choice of language.

Opposition lawmakers said Tuesday China has asked Taiwanese entertainers working there to refer to the mainland as "the interior," instead of terms that make it appear as a foreign country, separate from Taiwan.

Opposition concern was raised after several pop stars used the term at film events held recently in Taiwan.

Taiwan's Culture Minister Lung Ying-tai says the term may downgrade the self-ruled island, giving it the appearance of a Chinese colony, and should be avoided.

China has claimed Taiwan its own since the sides split amid civil war in 1949. The mainland's booming entertainment industry is attracting many Taiwanese actors and singers to perform there.