On 12 November 2024, Modern Diplomacy reported that despite China’s extensive propaganda efforts and media influence operations in Taiwan, the island democracy has shown remarkable resistance through a combination of government policy, civil society action, and public awareness. The article begins:
The People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (ROC, or Taiwan) came into existence during the same time period, and with similar contexts. The island state, having seen Chinese, Japanese and Dutch colonisation, fell into the control of the Kuomintang Party (KMT) after their loss to the Mao Zedong-led CCP. Since their inception, the ROC and PRC both saw themselves as legitimate representatives of the Chinese population on the mainland and on the island state. Over time, these tensions evolved into reduced hostilities and diplomatic talks, including the 1992 Consensus. However, the rise of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in Taiwan has led to increased anti-China narratives in Taiwan (Maizland, 2024). The erstwhile President of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-Wen’s explicit rejection of Chinese claims, coinciding with the pursuance of the “Wolf-Warrior” diplomacy by Premier Jinping, fuelled Chinese hostility across the strait, leading to strained diplomatic and trade ties (ibid). The PRC is attempting to regulate Taiwan’s politics within this context. An important method for that task has been the use of “sharp power”.
Key Points:
- The PRC uses “sharp power” tactics like censorship and manipulation to influence Taiwanese politics and media.
- Chinese propaganda aims to sway Taiwanese voters towards pro-unification leaders and narratives.
- Taiwanese resistance to Chinese influence is attributed to high literacy rates, democratic society, and government initiatives.
- The propaganda war has global implications, with countries like India learning from Taiwan’s experience to protect their own democratic institutions.
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