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The National Security Bureau said the number of pieces of false
or biased information distributed by China increased 60% last
year, to 2.16 million from 1.33 million in 2023.
The brief report issued Friday tallied "pieces of controversial
information,” but did not further define the term. Facebook and
X, formerly known as Twitter, were the main conduits for
disinformation, along with platforms that explicitly target
young people such as TikTok, the report said.
China created “inauthentic accounts” to distribute its
propaganda on Youtube, used technology such as AI to create fake
videos and flooded comments sections with pro-China statements,
the report said. China has for years used global social media
platforms to spread both official messages and misinformation
even while banning them inside the country.
Beijing already has considerable influence with Taiwanese
newspapers and other traditional media through their owners'
business interests in mainland China.
China claims Taiwan as its own territory to be brought under its
control by force if necessary, with Chinese leader Xi Jinping
renewing a declaration in his New Year's address that
unification with Taiwan was inevitable and could not be blocked
by outside forces, a likely reference to the U.S., Taiwan’s most
important ally.
China regularly sends warplanes, ships and balloons into areas
controlled by Taiwan and holds military drills to simulate a
blockade or invasion of the island. Beijing has also been
building up its navy and missile forces to hit key targets and
fend off American military support.
Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te said in his own New Year's
address that the island would continue to strengthen its
defenses in the face of escalating Chinese threats. Taiwan, he
said, was a crucial part of the global “line of defense of
democracy” against authoritarian states such as China, Russia,
North Korea and Iran.
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