A local broadcaster is being investigated for reportedly allowing a correspondent from China’s Xinhua news agency to give it instructions about its programming, the National Communications Commission said on Tuesday.
In exchange for commercial interests in China, the broadcaster allowed Xinhua reporter Zhao Bo (趙博) to set program topics, script dialogue and supervise filming, a source told the Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper), adding that other broadcasters were offered the same deal, but rejected it.
Obviously, it comes as no surprise that China is attempting to infiltrate the media in Taiwan. It is good that other broadcasters had the integrity to reject this offer, but the channel that allegedly accepted it must be made an example of. Under articles 22 and 27 of the Satellite Broadcasting Act (衛星廣播電視法), the channel could face a fine of NT$400,000 to NT$2 million (US$12,327 to US$61,633), and may be ordered to suspend broadcasting or have their license revoked.
A fine is unlikely to be a deterrent to would-be offenders if business opportunities in China or bribes from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) would exceed the maximum fine — which is very likely, so license revocation should be a must for any broadcaster found collaborating with the CCP. At the same time, anyone at the broadcaster involved in the offense should have their finances scrutinized, and be prohibited from ever owning, operating, investing in or working for any media outlet in Taiwan again.
China is well aware that it lacks the capability to invade Taiwan at present. It is also highly unlikely to impose a military blockade around Taiwan, which could lead to US military involvement.
Even a quarantine is unlikely according to experts who recently commented on the matter. Carl Schuster, former director of operations at the US Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence Center, told CNN that a quarantine would be too costly and risky for China.
Given its limited options to force unification on Taiwan, China is likely to continue pressuring Taiwan through a combination of “gray zone” tactics, manipulation of Taiwan’s legislature and “united front” efforts such as cognitive warfare waged on social media by infiltrating schools and organizations in Taiwan. Taiwan must swiftly and resolutely respond to any sign of these efforts and must not allow Taiwanese collaborators to act with impunity.
It is odd that correspondents from Chinese state-run media would be permitted to operate in Taiwan, given that the Taiwanese government is well aware of the CCP’s cognitive warfare efforts against it.
In the same vein, several legislators from the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) reportedly are known to have contact with CCP officials, and it has been alleged that some legislators act under instructions from the CCP. Given such suspicions, it makes little sense that active legislators in Taiwan should be permitted to travel to China.
The threats directed against Taiwan and its people continue to worsen under the administration of Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), with the CCP most recently threatening those in favor of Taiwan’s independence with the death penalty.
It is time that Taiwan’s government begins placing restrictions on exchanges with China. Failure to do so puts Taiwanese at risk of losing their freedoms and way of life.
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