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China is reportedly manipulating religious exchanges and matchmaking programs to subtly infiltrate Taiwan's society and sway public sentiment, Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Deputy Minister Shen Yu-chung told lawmakers, as reported by The Taipei Times.
According to The Taipei Times, during a recent session of the Legislative Yuan's Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator Chen Chun-yu cited findings from the Taiwan Information Environment Research Center, revealing that more than 16,000 Taiwanese citizens participated in cross-strait matchmaking activities organised by religious groups in China last year. Most of these gatherings reportedly took place in Fujian Province, a region long recognised as a focal point of China's "united front" campaigns targeting Taiwan. Shen emphasised that while the government welcomes genuine cultural and religious exchanges, evidence has emerged that Beijing has embedded political motives into these interactions. He said Chinese temples have been instructed to portray Matsu as a "Chinese goddess," and that many tour packages connected to these religious events include pro-Beijing propaganda and narratives designed to shape the participants' perceptions. "The Chinese Communist Party is using religious celebrations and matchmaking platforms to bring young Taiwanese closer to Chinese citizens, subtly pushing a shared cultural identity that undermines Taiwan's sovereignty," Shen stated. He warned that such efforts reflect a deliberate soft-power strategy by Beijing aimed at advancing cultural assimilation and long-term influence over Taiwan's younger generation, as cited by The Taipei Times. Separately, Shen revealed that the MAC and National Security Bureau are monitoring a noticeable increase in fabricated news reports and social media misinformation following the recent Trump-Xi Jinping summit. He said China is using pro-China scholars and think tanks in the US to circulate propaganda designed to question Washington's commitment to Taiwan's security. By leveraging American voices to spread Chinese state-sponsored narratives, Beijing hopes to boost the perceived credibility of its disinformation campaigns, Shen added. Taiwan's government remains vigilant against such infiltration tactics, as reported by The Taipei Times. (ANI)
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