A Senior Taiwanese Security Official revealed that China employs a wide range of tactics to interfere in Taiwan’s upcoming elections in January. These tactics encompass military pressure, the dissemination of fake news, and even the manipulation of opinion polls. Taiwan frequently warns of interference from Beijing, which asserts authority over the island and seeks to influence the election in favor of candidates aligning with China’s interests.
“The Chinese Communists employ a highly diverse set of methods to interfere in elections,” stated Taiwan’s National Security Bureau Director-General Tsai Ming-yen during a Parliamentary committee session. He emphasized that China can exert military and economic pressure and use fake news to create a false dichotomy between “war or peace,” aiming to intimidate voters.
Tsai also highlighted concerns about Chinese Communists collaborating with opinion poll and public relations firms to potentially manipulate these polls for election interference. However, he refrained from specifying any particular companies involved in such activities.
As of now, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office has not provided any comments on these allegations. It’s worth noting that Taiwan’s Vice President William Lai, representing the Democratic Progressive Party, which advocates for Taiwan’s distinct identity from China, appears to be the frontrunner in opinion polls for the next presidential election.