As Taiwan gears up for the Presidential elections scheduled for 13 January next year, several reports have highlighted apprehensions about Beijing targeting young Taiwanese through TikTok app to influence their vote.
The country will see Lai Ching-te of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) take on Hou Yu-ih, the Taipei Mayor representing the Kuomintan and Ko Wen-jie of the Taiwan People’s Party, in the elections.
According to the Taiwan-based newspaper Taipei Times, several videos are being shared on TikTok that are aimed at propagating distrust in Taiwan’s government and military.
China state-backed Global Times and other pro-establishment outlets have published reports critical of the ruling DPP and its leaders in an effort to generate a negative opinion about the party, added the report.
“The Chinese Communist Party [CCP] has defined this election as a choice between ‘war and peace’ and continues to spread the threat of war through China’s state media,” The Taipei Times quoted sources as saying.
“Pro-China candidates have even echoed these threats, claiming that a vote for the DPP is a vote to send young people to the battlefield. They are cooperating with the CCP to intimidate Taiwanese,” the source added.
The aim of these video is diverting the voters’ attention toward parties that may seem favourable to closer ties with Beijing and generate a Pro-China sentiment among younger voters in Taiwan.
The source quoted by Taipei Times said that “The CCP is also attempting to convince young Taiwanese that conscription means they are sacrificing their studies, careers and futures.”
“China basically intends to use cognitive warfare to foster negative views on the policies of the ruling party among young Taiwanese, all with an eye toward affecting the outcome of the election,” the source further added.
According to CNN, Taiwan’s intelligence community, at a recent closed-door security briefing, warned that China had been working to influence Taiwan’s upcoming election using disinformation. The goal of this was to bolster the chances of opposition candidates who are more likely to favor improving ties with Beijing, added the report.
In Taiwan, government employees are banned from using TikTok but there is no blanket ban on the App for citizens.
The incumbent DPP is said to be leading in all opinion polls. The Taiwan election comes at a time when tensions between China and Taiwan are high.
On Monday, Taiwan’s Defence Ministry reported that PLA aircraft had entered the Taiwan space while two Chinese balloons were also detected.
“Six PLA aircraft and 2 PLAN vessels around Taiwan were detected by 6 a.m. 1 of the detected aircraft (Y-8 ASW) had entered Taiwan’s SW ADIZ. Two PRC’s balloons were detected on Sunday after crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait at the location 110 nautical miles NW of Keelung and altitude of approximately 27,000 feet. The balloons headed east and disappeared at 09:36 and 16:35 respectively ” Taiwan’s Ministry of Defence said in a post on X.