A Chinese propaganda image dispersed during Monday’s military drills around Taiwan was supposed to send a positive message to the island’s people, but instead has been decried as weird, creepy and akin to “sexual harassment.”
On Monday China targeted Taiwan with major military exercises, surrounding its main island and outer territories with planes and ships to practice a blockade and attack. Alongside a record number of warplanes, dozens of navy and coast guard vessels, and cyber-attacks, China also launched a torrent of propaganda.
Among video montages of soldiers rushing towards troop carriers, photos of captains staring through binoculars from the deck of a warship and breathless editorials about “inevitable reunification,” one piece of media stood out: a love heart.
Photo taken from Weibo
The illustration, widely shared online, depicted a satellite image of Taiwan’s main island, and a line of arrows tracking around it in the shape of a heart. Accompanying script — in the traditional Chinese characters used by Taiwan — read: “Hi my sweetheart” and “The patrol is in the shape of loving you.”
The image came from China’s coast guard, which ran what it called “law enforcement patrols” around Taiwan during Monday’s drills.
Taiwan’s coast guard officials decried the image as Chinese cognitive warfare and harassment. But it didn’t appear to have the desired impact on the Taiwanese population.
Photo taken from Weibo
In local news the image prompted headlines. On social media it drew mostly ridicule and anger. People found the image “creepy,” and comment sections filled with vomit-emojis. Some likened the sentiment expressed to an abusive partner, while one newspaper called it “sexual harassment.”
Many were also perplexed by what appeared to be a reference to a 15-year-old Taiwanese TV drama, Hi My Sweetheart (海派甜心), long off the air. Some people surmised the reference was supposed to remind people of the show’s star, the local actor Rainie Yang (楊丞琳), who has faced criticism in Taiwan for saying she is Chinese and for posting pro-China content online.
Past propaganda efforts have included crude animations of missiles striking major cities in Taiwan. In August 2022, during drills launched in retaliation for a visit by the US speaker, Nancy Pelosi, China was accused of hacking into monitors at Taiwanese train stations and convenience stores to display messages disparaging her.
Photo: Reuters
That US assistance was a model for Taiwan’s spectacular development success was early recognized by policymakers and analysts. In a report to the US Congress for the fiscal year 1962, former President John F. Kennedy noted Taiwan’s “rapid economic growth,” was “producing a substantial net gain in living.” Kennedy had a stake in Taiwan’s achievements and the US’ official development assistance (ODA) in general: In September 1961, his entreaty to make the 1960s a “decade of development,” and an accompanying proposal for dedicated legislation to this end, had been formalized by congressional passage of the Foreign Assistance Act. Two
Despite the intense sunshine, we were hardly breaking a sweat as we cruised along the flat, dedicated bike lane, well protected from the heat by a canopy of trees. The electric assist on the bikes likely made a difference, too. Far removed from the bustle and noise of the Taichung traffic, we admired the serene rural scenery, making our way over rivers, alongside rice paddies and through pear orchards. Our route for the day covered two bike paths that connect in Fengyuan District (豐原) and are best done together. The Hou-Feng Bike Path (后豐鐵馬道) runs southward from Houli District (后里) while the
March 31 to April 6 On May 13, 1950, National Taiwan University Hospital otolaryngologist Su You-peng (蘇友鵬) was summoned to the director’s office. He thought someone had complained about him practicing the violin at night, but when he entered the room, he knew something was terribly wrong. He saw several burly men who appeared to be government secret agents, and three other resident doctors: internist Hsu Chiang (許強), dermatologist Hu Pao-chen (胡寶珍) and ophthalmologist Hu Hsin-lin (胡鑫麟). They were handcuffed, herded onto two jeeps and taken to the Secrecy Bureau (保密局) for questioning. Su was still in his doctor’s robes at
Mirror mirror on the wall, what’s the fairest Disney live-action remake of them all? Wait, mirror. Hold on a second. Maybe choosing from the likes of Alice in Wonderland (2010), Mulan (2020) and The Lion King (2019) isn’t such a good idea. Mirror, on second thought, what’s on Netflix? Even the most devoted fans would have to acknowledge that these have not been the most illustrious illustrations of Disney magic. At their best (Pete’s Dragon? Cinderella?) they breathe life into old classics that could use a little updating. At their worst, well, blue Will Smith. Given the rapacious rate of remakes in modern