Voters in the nine-in-one local elections on Nov. 26 did not regard the China issue as the most important concern when casting their ballots, despite Beijing’s best efforts. The Information Operations Research Group uncovered a lot of disinformation spread by China this year in its attempts to sway voters with its rhetoric on “war” and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Disinformation regarding war might be more effective in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election. In a report released on Saturday based on a review of more than 8 million Facebook posts, 6,000 news articles from Taiwan, 2,000 official releases from China regarding Taiwan affairs, 800,000 posts on Chinese social media and 50,000 TikTok videos this year found that “war” and “pandemic” were the two top issues involved when information was manipulated.
For example, a Facebook account titled “Headline across the Strait,” which the Investigation Bureau determined was funded by China, posted negative news reports targeting former minister of health and welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), the Democratic Progressive Party’s candidate for Taipei mayor.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February and China held military drills surrounding Taiwan in August, research by the group showed that China tried to spread disinformation with headlines such as: “The Russia-Ukraine war happened due to Ukraine’s provocation, so Taiwan shouldn’t be provocative to China,” “Once war breaks out in the Taiwan Strait, the US will abandon Taiwan” and “China holds drill, USS Ronald Reagan flees.”
This disinformation is obviously part of China’s cognitive warfare aimed at provoking the fear of war and increasing the tendency to capitulate.
More concerning is that some politicians and pro-China groups in Taiwan are echoing the rhetoric.
In last month’s elections, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and senior party figures such as former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) spread messages saying that “voting for the DPP could bring war, and supporting the KMT would ensure peace in the Taiwan Strait.”
Former UMC chairman Robert Tsao (曹興誠) admonished Ma, saying he was trying to brainwash the public to surrender without fighting and to sacrifice Taiwan to achieve Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) “great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.”
Taiwan has endured China’s military threat for more than 70 years and has never been a threat to China, but Xi has made it clear that China will use all measures to annex Taiwan. There is no room for the Republic of China, nor for Taiwan’s sovereignty or freedom.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin warned that “China is the only country with both the will and, increasingly, the power to reshape its region and the international order to suit its authoritarian preference,” adding: “Let’s make it clear. We won’t let that happen.”
Japan also plans to increase its national defense budget.
To avoid war takes wisdom and bravery. The government has shown reasonable restraint in the face of China’s provocation ranging from military threats to economic and diplomatic suppression. Boosting self-defense capability and military preparedness should be crucial strategies to deter the enemy from launching a war that will hurt both sides.
More international support could enhance Taiwan’s strength, but it is crucial that Taiwanese show a strong will to protect their homeland. This effort begins with stopping the spread of disinformation.
US political scientist Francis Fukuyama, during an interview with the UK’s Times Radio, reacted to US President Donald Trump’s overturning of decades of US foreign policy by saying that “the chance for serious instability is very great.” That is something of an understatement. Fukuyama said that Trump’s apparent moves to expand US territory and that he “seems to be actively siding with” authoritarian states is concerning, not just for Europe, but also for Taiwan. He said that “if I were China I would see this as a golden opportunity” to annex Taiwan, and that every European country needs to think
Why is Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) not a “happy camper” these days regarding Taiwan? Taiwanese have not become more “CCP friendly” in response to the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) use of spies and graft by the United Front Work Department, intimidation conducted by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the Armed Police/Coast Guard, and endless subversive political warfare measures, including cyber-attacks, economic coercion, and diplomatic isolation. The percentage of Taiwanese that prefer the status quo or prefer moving towards independence continues to rise — 76 percent as of December last year. According to National Chengchi University (NCCU) polling, the Taiwanese
Today is Feb. 28, a day that Taiwan associates with two tragic historical memories. The 228 Incident, which started on Feb. 28, 1947, began from protests sparked by a cigarette seizure that took place the day before in front of the Tianma Tea House in Taipei’s Datong District (大同). It turned into a mass movement that spread across Taiwan. Local gentry asked then-governor general Chen Yi (陳儀) to intervene, but he received contradictory orders. In early March, after Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) dispatched troops to Keelung, a nationwide massacre took place and lasted until May 16, during which many important intellectuals
US President Donald Trump is an extremely stable genius. Within his first month of presidency, he proposed to annex Canada and take military action to control the Panama Canal, renamed the Gulf of Mexico, called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy a dictator and blamed him for the Russian invasion. He has managed to offend many leaders on the planet Earth at warp speed. Demanding that Europe step up its own defense, the Trump administration has threatened to pull US troops from the continent. Accusing Taiwan of stealing the US’ semiconductor business, it intends to impose heavy tariffs on integrated circuit chips
RSS