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China uses disinformation to raise mistrust about the United States in the Taiwan election

January 8, 2024

The Taiwanese were being given “poisonous” pork that was imported from the United States, according to the rumor, which was old but effective.

A few weeks ago, another claim was made, which stated that the government of Taiwan was secretly collecting blood from its inhabitants and delivering it to the United States in order to create a bioweapon that might be used to attack China.

Both of these were quickly disproved.

However, this is a narrative that has been flourishing in Taiwan in the days leading up to the presidential and legislative elections that will take place on Saturday.

The term “Yimeilun,” which translates to “US scepticism,” casts doubt on the loyalty of Taiwan’s most important ally, depicting the island as a puppet that is used by the United States. Analysts believe that its ultimate objective is to put a wedge between Taiwan and the United States of America, and to force the Taiwanese people into the arms of China at the same time.

“There appears to be this narrative that the United States will not support Taiwan, or will abandon it if there is a war, or the situation is not advantageous to the United States,” said Kuang-shun Yang, a researcher who specializes in disinformation and came up with the term in 2018.

According to experts in the field of disinformation, China is complicit in the dissemination of this message and may even be the source of it. Taiwanese people who live near to Beijing are also mentioned in their testimonies.

Not only are there instances of conspiracy theories, but there are also instances in which the news is highlighted in a way that portrays the United States in a negative light or indicates that it is an untrustworthy superpower.

According to Puma Shen, a Taiwanese expert on Chinese disinformation, “For China, this is a battle for public opinion,” stated the Taiwanese expert.

The task of convincing everyone that China is the superior nation is more challenging, whereas the task of convincing everyone that the United States of America is troublesome is relatively simpler… To China, that would be regarded as a highly successful endeavor.

The pressure that China is exerting on Taiwan to hold elections is increasing.
China is being covertly armed to the teeth by the United States.
When the Taiwanese chip manufacturer TSMC expanded its operations in the United States, it was referred to as “hollowing out” Taiwan’s resources and was seen as an act of American pressure. It was also considered to be “cheating” Taiwan out of its money by delivering it unreliable weaponry, which was the reason why the United States sold arms to Taiwan.

Between the years 2021 and 2023, the think tank IORG found 84 different types of narratives about distrust in the United States of America. These narratives were found on Chinese-language media outlets, social media, the online forum PTT, and the messaging app LINE.

The propaganda departments of Chinese provincial governments and official media outlets were responsible for amplifying these tales and, in some instances, were even the first sources that were available.

On the other hand, the majority of the material came from Taiwanese politicians and media organizations that were friendly to China. For a long time, there has been a suspicion that the Chinese state exerts influence, and a report published by Reuters in 2019 discovered evidence that mainland authorities paid Taiwanese publications for coverage.

It was in an unconfirmed Taiwanese newspaper article that the bioweapons rumor was first brought to light. Some people speculated that Beijing was involved in the incident.

At the beginning of the US pork rumor, there were online posts that claimed, without providing any evidence, that the government was covertly passing off pork from the United States as Taiwanese. A few weeks later, other people made the claim about hazardous pig products from the United States, which was traced back to an old article that was discredited by a Hong Kong newspaper that supported China.

Discussions in Taiwan have been plagued for years by the assumption that pork from the United States would be dangerous. However, it has come back just in time for what appears to be a campaign for the presidency that is quite close.

According to the most recent opinion surveys, William Lai, the candidate of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), took the lead over Hou You-ih, the candidate of the Kuomintang (KMT), by a margin of only a few percentage points. According to Mr. Shen’s estimation, in order for a disinformation campaign to have an impact on the outcome of the election, it would only need to convince approximately three percent of voters.

It was believed that China was the source of a major wave of anti-DPP disinformation that swept over Taiwan in the years leading up to the most recent election, which took place in 2020. Despite the fact that it was ultimately unsuccessful — President Tsai Ing-wen won her second term by a landslide — it caused a great deal of concern among the Taiwanese people.

On the other hand, the political scene has evolved since then. A number of factors have contributed to the escalation of tensions with China. Beijing has consistently emphasized the importance of unity as a goal, proposing peace while not ruling out the possibility of using force.

And two, people’s faith in the United States is deteriorating.

According to polls, the Taiwanese public continues to have a much higher level of trust in the United States than in China. However, according to the results of the annual American Portrait poll that was carried out by Taiwanese academics, the percentage of Taiwanese people who consider the United States of America is a trustworthy country increased from 34% in 2021 to 45% in 2022.

Based on the findings of another study conducted by the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation, it was discovered that the biggest percentage of Taiwanese individuals in their early 20s identify with narratives of distrust regarding the United States.

According to the polling organization, one of the possible reasons could be that younger Taiwanese were more likely to be dispatched to the front lines of any potential battle.

The majority of this may be attributed to the activities taken by the United States of America. The botched departure of troops from Afghanistan and the reluctance of a split Congress to continue backing Ukraine in its conflict have both added to Taiwanese suspicions that the United States would desert it or refuse to engage in the event that China attacks, according to analysts.

Jaw Shaw-kang, the vice-presidential candidate of the Kuomintang (KMT) who has advocated for tighter connections with China and cultivated skepticism toward the United States, issued a warning in 2021, stating that “if Taiwan does not want to become a second Afghanistan, then it really needs to think clearly about whether it wants war or peace.”

In addition, Chihhao Yu, the author of the IORG study, stated that the cynicism of the United States has had a part in “seeding” doubt. “And then when the US makes a mistake, it would confirm previous suspicions.”

Mentality of an orphan
As is the case with other forms of propaganda and disinformation, the United States’ scepticism thrives on fear, whether it be regarding the safety of food or the possibility of war.

In addition to this, it exploits a key aspect of the Taiwanese psyche, which is a decades-long insecurity regarding their connection with the United States of America.

“Orphan mentality” is the root cause of this, according to Mr. Yang. Taiwan was once a colony of multiple empires, and its previous rulers were responsible for transferring it multiple times. The collective memory has always been the place where that historical viewpoint has been stored.

“But the most direct trigger was in 1979.”

Following several months of covert negotiations, the United States of America formalized diplomatic relations with China in that year, which shocked the whole world and left Taiwan in a state of disbelief. Because of the United States’ decision to move recognition from Taipei to Beijing, official ties with the island were severed.

On the other hand, it also passed a statute that mandated it to assist Taiwan in defending itself. To this day, it continues to keep close informal contacts with the island and deals in the sale of armaments to it.

However, Mr. Yang stated that the diplomatic breakup is responsible for planting the idea “that Taiwan could be abandoned by the United States again.” An orphan wailing in the wind is described in the song “Orphan of Asia,” which was a hit in Taiwan in the 1980s. The song goes on to say that “the Western wind sings a sad song in the East.” This is a testament to the extent of the pain that was experienced.

Additionally, Mr. Yang stated that this is the reason why the United States’ skepticism frequently works in conjunction with pro-China narratives as “push and pull forces,” which encourage Taiwan to interact more with China in order to maintain peace.

“If Taiwan is an orphan, then it should be a prodigal son coming home to the great nation [of China], rather than remain as the subsidiary of the US.”

According to researchers, the most effective way to combat doubt in the United States is to provide reassurances from the United States.

“If our ally can be more aware of the dangers of US scepticism and come out to reiterate the good aspects of our partnership… people would see that this [relationship] is good for us,” according to Mr. Yu.

This is something that China does on a regular basis; they talk about all the advantages that Taiwan receives from China. On the other hand, you don’t see that very much in the messaging of US policy.

Anti-disinformation measures on the island have been strengthened through the implementation of public education campaigns, reporting hotlines, and even artificial intelligence chatbots that identify instances of fake news.

Anti-disinformation measures were also being considered by Taiwan’s government, despite the fact that this raised worries about restrictions on press freedom.

The worshipers who are caught between Taiwan and China on both sides
The complicated politics of Taiwan are illustrated via the use of popcorn chicken and bento.
On the other hand, it is already projected that Taiwan is the most targeted location in the world for the dissemination of misleading information by governments from other countries.

Wei-ping Li, a researcher with Taiwan Factcheck Center, one of the organizations that works to combat disinformation, believes that years of propaganda and disinformation have contributed to the polarization of society and the creation of a larger skepticism of facts.

It is not so much the disinformation that is the issue; rather, it is the way that people are currently relating to information… They will inquire, “Are you even able to trust this?” According to what she said, “they will form an opinion regarding the credibility of the information based on their level of political affiliation or their political views.”

Mr. Shen cautioned that China will become more adept at influencing discourse through the use of more sophisticated means as Taiwan becomes more and more capable of defending itself.

According to him, the constant warnings from Taiwan’s government about the dangers of Chinese influence, along with Beijing’s efforts to stigmatize criticism of China, has resulted in feelings of exhaustion among ordinary Taiwanese.

“These days even if we want to discuss China’s issues, there will be people who will say… Why aren’t you discussing America’s issues?”

China uses disinformation to raise mistrust about the United States in the Taiwan election

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