The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday told legislators in a plenary session that it has asked temples and universities to be on alert for attempts by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to interfere in next year’s presidential and legislative elections.
With only 88 days left until the elections, legislators asked Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) and MAC Minister Chiu Tai-san (邱太三) whether the CCP had intensified campaigns to interfere in the elections.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lai Jui-lung (賴瑞隆) said that some borough wardens and heads of temples in Taiwan were invited to visit China and encouraged to bring people with them.
Photo: CNA
He said that he had received information that some university professors were organizing low-priced tours to China for students.
Lai urged the government to quickly respond to disinformation disseminated by the CCP, adding that it should consider responding to false information with videos instead of placards.
“We, as a democratic and free society, cannot afford to let the CCP regime interfere in our elections using disinformation. A false statement can become the truth when it is said multiple times, as people are utterly confused,” he said.
Beijing has tried to influence the outcomes of Taiwanese elections using numerous tactics, from organizing cultural and trade events to hosting Taiwanese politicians, Chiu said.
“The CCP’s Central Leading Group for Taiwan Affairs has since May tried to cover up manipulation tactics in the name of ‘expanded cross-strait exchange.’ However, they cannot accomplish much with these strategies because of restrictions on cross-strait exchanges imposed from both sides. As such, they have moved venues for ‘united front’ work from Taiwan to China,” he said.
“We have recently communicated the seriousness of this issue with the management of several important temples in Taiwan. The Ministry of Education has also reminded professors and students of the legal risks of traveling to China, and they are required to apply in advance and secure permission,” he said.
The Executive Yuan has formed a special task force to tackle disinformation and misinformation, which requires agencies to respond to reports of disinformation within a day under the principle of “speed, accuracy and precision,” Chen said.
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