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China is likely to step up information warfare to influence Taiwan's upcoming Taipei mayoral election, with Beijing potentially relying on deepfake videos, fake online accounts and targeted disinformation to manipulate public opinion, according to an official familiar with China's united front operations.
The official warned that Beijing could increasingly turn to digital tactics as conventional methods of political influence become more difficult, as reported by The Taipei Times. According to The Taipei Times, the official said the limited number of Chinese immigrant spouses contesting the upcoming local elections and the absence of large nationwide campaigns had reduced concerns about direct mobilisation through these communities. Instead, the growing threat lies in what authorities describe as cognitive warfare, which seeks to influence voters' perceptions and undermine confidence in democratic processes. Twenty-five Chinese immigrant spouses have registered as candidates in next month's local elections. Four reportedly failed to provide evidence that they had relinquished their original household registration in China, while seven had submitted the required documentation less than a decade ago, making them ineligible to contest the elections. Concerns over Beijing's alleged political influence operations have intensified following the conviction of Chinese immigrant Xu Chunying, who was sentenced to seven years in prison in August. She was convicted of fraud, facilitating the illegal entry of Chinese nationals into Taiwan and acting under Beijing's direction to influence Taiwanese politics. Xu previously served as secretary-general of the Cross-Strait Marriage and Family Service Alliance, which Taiwan's Interior Ministry dissolved in May, as highlighted by The Taipei Times. The official said Xu's conviction and the organisation's dissolution could make it more difficult for Beijing to use Chinese spouses as intermediaries in political interference efforts. However, authorities remain concerned that China could shift towards sophisticated online operations designed to discredit selected candidates and manipulate voters during the election campaign, as reported by The Taipei Times. (ANI)
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