A Taipei councilor says a Han-clothing group used the city's Confucius Temple to film pro-unification propaganda, a warning sign for Taiwan as Beijing pushes cultural influence campaigns.

• Councilor Lin Liang-chun says the group rented temple space to promote Confucian and traditional dress culture, then filmed there with banners promoting cross-strait "family" events in simplified Chinese.
• Young Taiwanese who appeared in the footage later travelled to China for a "roots" trip covered by a Xiamen state broadcaster that Beijing tasks with propaganda aimed at Taiwan.
• The temple's management committee had agreed to act as a supporting body and provide help, apparently unaware of the political angle.
• Lin wants the city to cut funding, claw back money already paid, and refuse to renew the contract, which still has years to run with a renewal option.
• The city's civil affairs chief admits officials only learned of the dispute from online complaints and now confirms the group has close ties to China.

Outlook: The city has promised a deeper investigation, and the group's planned November event in Taipei will be the next test of how far officials are willing to go.