China Escalates Cognitive Warfare Against Taiwan Amidst US-Taiwan Relations and Semiconductor Investments
Taipei, Taiwan – China is significantly ramping up its cognitive warfare campaign targeting Taiwan, exploiting the backdrop of the annual "two sessions" – the National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference – to sow discord and undermine trust in the US-Taiwan relationship. This intensified effort, spearheaded by the United Front Work Department, leverages misinformation regarding Taiwan’s semiconductor investments in the US and the ongoing situation in Ukraine to manipulate public opinion and exacerbate existing divisions within Taiwanese society.
According to national security sources, Shi Taifeng, head of the United Front Work Department, has assembled a specialized task force dedicated to disseminating disinformation. Their primary objective is to instill doubt among Taiwanese citizens about the US and foster animosity towards former US President Donald Trump, capitalizing on any perceived policy shifts. The ultimate goal, as stated by the source, is to convince the Taiwanese populace that the US cannot be trusted. This new wave of cognitive warfare marks a concerning escalation of China’s ongoing attempts to influence Taiwanese perceptions and weaken ties with the US.
This campaign is centered around pushing specific narratives designed to sow division and erode trust. These include the false claims that Trump intends to betray Taiwan, that the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) will effectively become an American entity, and that Taiwan’s eventual subjugation to China is inevitable. These narratives are being disseminated rapidly through a multifaceted approach leveraging Chinese state media, social media platforms, and a network of fake profiles and sympathetic media outlets within Taiwan.
National security agencies in Taiwan have already detected suspicious accounts propagating this misinformation, highlighting the immediacy and reach of the campaign. The speed and breadth of dissemination indicate a well-coordinated strategy to saturate the information landscape with these narratives. The use of fake profiles and aligned media outlets within Taiwan points to a sophisticated operation designed to appear organic and credible.
China’s Ministry of State Security has also reportedly recommended exploiting internal disagreements within Taiwan concerning Trump to further inflame existing political divisions. By amplifying criticisms of Trump on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and other English-language social media, they aim to create the impression of widespread Taiwanese antagonism towards the former US President, thereby damaging US-Taiwan relations. This tactic seeks to foster the image of a fractured relationship between the two nations, potentially deterring future cooperation.
This multifaceted approach of disinformation, exploiting sensitive topics like semiconductor investments and political figures, underscores China’s commitment to psychological warfare. The strategic use of internal divisions within Taiwan and manipulation of international perceptions through social media reveals a determined and sophisticated effort to undermine Taiwan’s relationship with the US and influence public opinion in favor of unification with China. The Taiwanese government and its allies are facing a significant challenge in countering this pervasive disinformation campaign, and the implications for regional stability and international relations are considerable. This latest development highlights the increasingly complex nature of information warfare in the 21st century and the urgent need for robust countermeasures.