The detention of a reporter who allegedly bribed military officers to provide information to China suggests that Beijing’s infiltration is a long-term, structural presence in Taiwan, an academic said yesterday.
Tunghai University Cross-Strait Research Center deputy executive director Hung Pu-chao (洪浦釗) made the comment after the Ciaotou District Prosecutors’ Office on Saturday said a district court approved its request to detain a reporter, and five current and retired military officers for allegedly contravening the National Security Act (國家安全法) and the Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例).
It is not surprising, as the issue of Chinese collaborators in Taiwan is not something new and has been a long-standing problem, Hung said.
Photo: Wu Cheng-feng, Taipei Times
They are often hidden in institutional gaps and disguised in professional roles, making it difficult for the people to notice, he said.
However, this incident has shown the public that Chinese infiltration is no longer limited to political figures or grassroots organizations, but has deeply penetrated into the information production chain, Hung said.
From China’s point of view, the value of media workers lies not in directly spreading fake information, but in their ability to influence agenda-setting and narrative framing, Hung said, adding that such people could shape public opinion to be more favorable to China while appearing professional.
This type of infiltration is highly covert and is the most difficult part of cognitive warfare to defend against, he said.
The case is significant, as it serves as a reminder to Taiwanese that they are facing a long-term, patiently laid out, covert operation, Hung said, adding that it is important that the public enhance their media literacy.
Only when the national security system, the media and civil society operate in tandem, and institutional safeguards and information literacy advance together, can Taiwan truly preserve the foundation of being able to trust information, he said.
That is essential for the functioning of a democratic society, he added.
While Taiwan regularly pursues espionage cases within the government and military, allegations against journalists are unusual.
The office’s statement only identified the journalist as someone surnamed Lin (林).
CTi News said one of its reporters, Lin Chen-you (林宸佑), has been detained, but that it was not aware of the case details.
Prosecutors said that Lin paid military officers bribes ranging from several thousand to tens of thousands of New Taiwan dollars in exchange for providing information to Chinese people.
Additional reporting by AP
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