The primary goal of responding to China’s “united front” propaganda on social media should be to expose intermediaries so they face public scrutiny, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋) said.
The statement came in response to Taiwanese rapper Chen Po-yuan (陳柏源) exposing methods the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) uses to bribe Taiwanese influencers to promote its propaganda in a video produced by YouTuber “Pa Chiung (八炯)” that was published online on Friday.
Commenting on the matter, Shen on Saturday said the government should establish mechanisms to respond to online propaganda, so the public can report influencers’ “united front” activities.
Photo: CNA
This would increase public awareness and reduce the harm caused by influencers’ propaganda, he said.
Regulations imposed by tracking cash flow to influencers could be quickly circumvented, Shen said.
China could instead use virtual currencies or underground exchanges between Chinese and international platforms to avoid detection, he said.
For example, influencers could create pro-China videos on YouTube while “selling products” on Douyin, he said. While the cash flow should be investigated, the primary goal should be to identify “united front” intermediaries, including travel agencies, gangsters, academics, businesspeople and even legislators and public servants, he said.
Without these intermediaries, it would be much harder for China to engage with Taiwan’s public, he added.
China’s primary method of recruiting Taiwanese influencers is by attracting pro-China supporters to specific content and using Alipay or WeChat for donations, Kuma Academy chief executive officer and Taiwan National Security Institute deputy secretary-general Ho Cheng-hui (何澄輝) said.
Influencers need not visit China, but can post videos with donation QR codes on social media platforms and circulate them through closed communities like Line groups, Ho said.
It is very difficult to track online cash flows, he added.
However, if platforms take responsibility for revealing “united front” propaganda that is disguised as neutral and objective content, the public can develop the ability to recognize it, weakening its influence, he added.
In recent years, China’s “united front” efforts have had two main aspects, Taiwan Thinktank China Research Center director Wu Se-chih (吳瑟致) said.
The first is expanding China-friendly forces in Taiwan, such as the group of Chinese students associated with the CCP invited to Taiwan for a visit by the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation, Wu said.
The second is using influencers, as they can reach a wide audience and online freedom of speech shields them from legal issues, as long as there are no personal attacks, he said.
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