Asian reality stars go overseas in search of fame

TAIWAN: Like many Chinese girls her age, Qi Ji enjoys singing and dancing and dreams of becoming a star. But rather than trying to make a start in vast and crowded China, she is pinning her hopes on Taiwan.

The 18-year-old is the first of many Chinese contestants expected to enter a Taiwanese reality show aimed at creating a girl band that producers hope can rival supergroups such as Japan's AKB48 or South Korea's Girls' Generation.

With such televised contests now a major part of the global music industry, in Asia they are spurring a migration of talent between countries as performers and producers look to crack domestic, regional and global markets.

For Qi, who grew up in northeast China and attended a performing art school in Beijing, this could offer a once-in-a-lifetime chance for a fast track to stardom in China's market of 1.3 billion people -- and perhaps beyond. AFP