How Taiwan is waging the disinformation war

In Taiwan, China’s state media and other media are increasingly using disinformation next to more traditional methods of undermining rivals by sowing discord and influencing policy and public opinion.

In order to influence voters in the run-up to this year’s Taiwanese presidential election, China is said to have provided complicated disinformation campaigns to undermine the island’s democracy, promote pro-unification narratives, smear Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidates, and stoke divisions in US-Taiwan relations. DPP candidate Lai Ching-te is said to have bastardand Hsiao Bi-khim, Lai’s running mate, was apparently not eligible to run for office based on their U.S. citizenship.

This followed a similar campaign during the 2020 election, when China spread rumors that then-President Tsai Ing-wen fake her doctorate, a claim later refuted from the London School of Economics. To discredit Tsai’s victory, Sources People associated with the Chinese Communist Party claimed that the election results were manipulated by the CIA.

The ultimate goal is to undermine public confidence in the government and sow doubt within the DPP.

Lai won the election and was sworn in last month, but this came after countless fabricated or exaggerated rumors, articles and pictures were spread via social media and emails. Stirring up fears about a war between the two sides of the strait. China has even reinforced his disinformation war for Specific and local settings. Targeted narratives, including those about Food safety And racism in Taiwan aimed to damage the reputation of the DPP by associating the party with ethical violations and incompetence.

The ultimate goal is to undermine public confidence in the government and sow doubt within the DPP.

However, Taiwan did not remain idle. The Taiwanese government banned several Chinese media platforms, including Tick ​​​​Tock, iQIYIAnd Tencentduring the adoption of the Anti-Infiltration Act and that Radio and Television Act. Taiwanese nonprofit organizations have also been at the forefront of the island’s civil society efforts to debunk misleading news and educate the public about the dangers of spreading false information.

The establishment of fact-checking organizations played a central role in this. Charles Yehthe inventor of MyGoPen, developed the chatbot service after realizing that his relatives were being misled by fake news. Other services, such as the Taiwan FactCheck Centerwhose objectives are to verify claims in the public interest and promote transparency, rejected state funding in order to preserve their autonomy.

But the struggle continues. Chinese propaganda still reaches large audiences in Taiwan through unrestricted and widely watched platforms such as YouTube and Twitch. In its quest for reunification, Beijing will not let up in its efforts to undermine Taiwan’s spirit.

The Communist Party of China is hostile to Lai, the Chinese official labeled a “separatist” and “troublemaker”. It will continue its efforts to Drive wedges between Lai’s government, Taiwan’s people and foreign partners.

In May, Lai spoke out against China’s disinformation efforts and vowed to raise defense awareness and tighten national security laws, especially against disinformation. This could lead to stricter regulations on social media. A first step in this direction was the permit of two bills introduced by Taiwan’s Executive Council on May 9 to strengthen law enforcement against cybercrime and online fraud. If passed, these bills would require digital platforms that generate advertising revenue to set up local headquarters or appoint legal representatives to handle government requests for content moderation.

For financial reasons, major technology giants such as Meta, X and Google have laid off large numbers of their employees responsible for combating disinformation.

To investigate the disinformation campaigns undermining the island’s democracy and security, the Investigation Bureau of the Taiwanese Ministry of Justice founded the Cognitive Warfare Research Centre in January. However, some officials believe the DPP government is responsible for the lack of timely and effective action against China’s fake news campaigns and cyberattacks. To counter these allegations, the Lai government must develop a “structural approach” that national authorities can use to counter Beijing’s disinformation offensive.

Because of Financial constraintsmajor technology giants like Meta, X And Google have laid off large numbers of staff responsible for combating disinformation, risking the infiltration of fake news by authoritarian states. This means that Taiwan must take its own steps. The first of these should be to ensure that qualified professionals remain. The A self-governing democracy would also be well advised to recruit professionals from the mega-tech companies mentioned above, as their practical experience and expertise could improve the ability of local organizations to counter disinformation.

Lai outlined the comprehensive plan to combat China’s disinformation efforts, particularly through Pledging to work with democracies to “combat disinformation.” But Taiwan needs specific, concrete and long-term investments. United States, Japan, South Korea And Australialike Taiwan, all struggle with Chinese disinformation, making them natural partners in the fight against this tactic. Measures such as establishing forums for political dialogue where members share their experiences and strategies in dealing with disinformation should be a priority.

With China determined to intimidate Taiwan through a series of disinformation wars, the great test for Lai Ching-te will be whether his statesmanship will be able to withstand the fabricated “Reality”.

This article was co-authored with Tong Thai Thien and Le Thi Yen Nhi, who study at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Social Sciences and Humanities.