TAIPEI: Taiwan’s government says China is redoubling efforts to undermine confidence in the self-governing island’s democracy and close ties with the United States through the spread of disinformation, especially online.
The National Security Bureau said the number of pieces of false or biased information distributed by China increased 60 per cent last year, to 2.16 million from 1.33 million in 2023.
Much of the increase in disinformation focused on media outlets used predominantly by younger people, such as video channels, forums and X, formerly known as Twitter, Taiwan’s Central News Agency reported.
The brief National Security Bureau report issued on Friday (Jan 3) tallied “pieces of controversial information”, but did not further define the term.
Facebook and X were the main conduits for disinformation, along with platforms that explicitly target young people such as TikTok, the report said.
China created “inauthentic accounts” to distribute its propaganda on Youtube, used technology such as artificial intelliegence to create fake videos and flooded comments sections with pro-China statements, the report added.
A total of 28,216 inauthentic accounts were identified in 2024, up 11,661 from 2023, the Central News Agency reported, adding that other tactics used include hacking Taiwanese accounts to impersonate Taiwanese people and military personnel.
Beijing already has considerable influence with Taiwanese newspapers and other traditional media through their owners’ business interests in mainland China.
China claims Taiwan as its own territory to be brought under its control by force if necessary, with Chinese leader Xi Jinping renewing a declaration in his New Year’s address that unification with Taiwan was inevitable and could not be blocked by outside forces, a likely reference to the US, Taiwan’s most important ally.
China regularly sends warplanes, ships and balloons into areas controlled by Taiwan and holds military drills to simulate a blockade or invasion of the island. Beijing has also been building up its navy and missile forces to hit key targets and fend off American military support.
Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te said in his own New Year’s address that the island would continue to strengthen its defences in the face of escalating Chinese threats.
Taiwan, he said, was a crucial part of the global “line of defence of democracy” against authoritarian states such as China, Russia, North Korea and Iran.
