A Chinese Internet influencer’s criticism of a Taiwanese hotel in Paris for its Olympics decorations was authorized by Beijing, as China restricts online speech and demands that Internet commentators and personalities follow its political script, a Taiwanese security analyst said yesterday.
Taiwan Thinktank researcher Wu Se-chih (吳瑟致) was commenting on an incident last week in which a Chinese influencer recorded a video criticizing the Paris branch of the Evergreen Laurel Hotel — a hospitality subsidiary of Taiwan’s Evergreen Group — for not including the Chinese flag in its Olympic decor.
The hotel management apologized shortly after the video went viral on Sina Weibo.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
The user later posted an image showing a document purportedly issued by the French branch of the China Council for the Promotion of Peaceful National Reunification, saying the video was “factually accurate” and followed its guidelines on “reunifying” Taiwan.
Commenting on the case, Wu said that a political motive should always be assumed with content about Taiwan’s statehood from a Chinese influencer, as the Chinese Communist Party’s aim is to undermine Taiwan’s sovereignty.
Internet celebrities are an important propaganda tool for Beijing, as evidenced by its cultivation of influencers for “united front” activities targeting Taiwan and projecting the image of revived national strength abroad, he said.
Additionally, influencers among the Chinese diaspora could act as confidential informants for Beijing’s “overseas police service stations” or agitators to rouse nationalist fervor among Chinese immigrants, he said.
The video’s publication was authorized by Beijing to supplement other operations to suppress the display of images and banners about Taiwan during the Paris Olympics, he said.
Evergreen Laurel Hotel’s apology signaled to the Chinese government that its tactics work, which would encourage more behavior of a similar nature, he said.
The incident would encourage the Chinese government to pressure Taiwanese businesses and gauge their reaction, Wu said.
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