It has been reported that a Chinese correspondent has been involved in the production of a pro-China Taiwanese political talk show and supervising the filming. If true, the TV station
might be fined NT$2 million (US$61,482), the National Communications Commission has said.
Some news media and political programs in Taiwan are already speaking on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). They even act like the CCP’s propaganda tools, such as China Central Television, covering up scandals and promoting the CCP’s so-called “achievements.” This type of news channel has the effect of confusing Taiwanese about where exactly do they live.
Independent Legislator May Chin (高金素梅) recently referred to Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) as “our President Xi.” Pro-China media in Taiwan even openly mimic Xi’s words and try to brainwash Taiwanese.
It has been more than two years since Russia invaded Ukraine and pro-China channels have often taken the side of Russia, criticizing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s strategies against the invasion.
These channels are always finding an excuse for Russia. Therefore, Taiwanese exposed to such news media would agree with the denouncement of Zelenskiy for not prioritizing Ukrainian citizens and focusing only on defeating Russia.
The channels are criticizing the victim instead of the invader, confusing fact from fiction.
Recently the China Coast Guard fought the Philippine Navy in a confrontation in which blood was spilled. Pro-China media in Taiwan reported that the Philippines was challenging China’s powerful People’s Liberation Army Navy, and ended up embarrassing itself.
To align with the CCP’s intention to attack Taiwan “separatists,” pro-China media turn their back on their own people, blaming President William Lai (賴清德) for separating “one China” and allowing himself to become a tool of the US.
However, these media outlets lack the courage to speak up for Taiwanese democracy. As Lai has said, democracy is not a crime, and autocracy is the real “evil.”
Taiwanese should fight against media that spread fake news and demand that the government punish the broadcaster or ban such broadcasts.
Only when we banish “red media” from Taiwan can we genuinely appreciate the value of democracy.
Chen Chi-nung is a political commentator.
Translated by Hsieh Yi-ching
US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) were born under the sign of Gemini. Geminis are known for their intelligence, creativity, adaptability and flexibility. It is unlikely, then, that the trade conflict between the US and China would escalate into a catastrophic collision. It is more probable that both sides would seek a way to de-escalate, paving the way for a Trump-Xi summit that allows the global economy some breathing room. Practically speaking, China and the US have vulnerabilities, and a prolonged trade war would be damaging for both. In the US, the electoral system means that public opinion
In their recent op-ed “Trump Should Rein In Taiwan” in Foreign Policy magazine, Christopher Chivvis and Stephen Wertheim argued that the US should pressure President William Lai (賴清德) to “tone it down” to de-escalate tensions in the Taiwan Strait — as if Taiwan’s words are more of a threat to peace than Beijing’s actions. It is an old argument dressed up in new concern: that Washington must rein in Taipei to avoid war. However, this narrative gets it backward. Taiwan is not the problem; China is. Calls for a so-called “grand bargain” with Beijing — where the US pressures Taiwan into concessions
The term “assassin’s mace” originates from Chinese folklore, describing a concealed weapon used by a weaker hero to defeat a stronger adversary with an unexpected strike. In more general military parlance, the concept refers to an asymmetric capability that targets a critical vulnerability of an adversary. China has found its modern equivalent of the assassin’s mace with its high-altitude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) weapons, which are nuclear warheads detonated at a high altitude, emitting intense electromagnetic radiation capable of disabling and destroying electronics. An assassin’s mace weapon possesses two essential characteristics: strategic surprise and the ability to neutralize a core dependency.
Chinese President and Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Chairman Xi Jinping (習近平) said in a politburo speech late last month that his party must protect the “bottom line” to prevent systemic threats. The tone of his address was grave, revealing deep anxieties about China’s current state of affairs. Essentially, what he worries most about is systemic threats to China’s normal development as a country. The US-China trade war has turned white hot: China’s export orders have plummeted, Chinese firms and enterprises are shutting up shop, and local debt risks are mounting daily, causing China’s economy to flag externally and hemorrhage internally. China’s
RSS