Amid the continuous rise in international oil prices, the Chinese Communist Party’s Taiwan Affairs Office spread rumors claiming that “Taiwan is facing an oil cutoff,” a message that was quickly mocked by netizens. Meanwhile, the Republic of China government has implemented a “stabilization mechanism” to curb the increase in oil prices.
On March 18, CCP Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Chen Huabin publicly stated that “energy supplies on the island of Taiwan are facing the danger of oil and gas shortages.”
On the same day when Chen Huabin made these remarks, Republic of China Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs He Jincang refuted the claims of the Chinese Communist Party’s Taiwan Affairs Office. He stated that this falls under the CCP’s “cognitive warfare,” and Taiwan is well-prepared in terms of energy, having secure reserves and response measures in place.
As the war in the Persian Gulf continues, especially with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, preventing oil tankers from passing through, international oil prices have risen significantly, affecting Taiwan as well. However, the Republic of China government promptly introduced relative measures to stabilize oil prices. The government initiated the “stabilization mechanism,” with Taiwan’s CPC Corporation absorbing part of the expected increase in oil prices. According to Central News Agency, taking into account stabilizing domestic prices and the financial situation of Taiwan’s CPC Corporation, the absorption rate under the special stabilization mechanism has been adjusted from a dynamic 60% to 75%, effectively reducing the extent of oil price hikes.
Despite the baseless claims by Chinese authorities and the efforts of online propagandists, many people are not buying into the falsehoods. Numerous netizens have been responding on various platforms by criticizing and ridiculing the CCP authorities.
A woman who married in Taiwan posted a video on a platform saying, “I can’t figure out who’s spreading the immoral rumor that Taiwan is short of oil and electricity. Today when I went to refuel, there was only one car at the gas station.” “Taiwan is living well, why are there always so many rumors being spread?” She has lived in Taiwan for more than ten years and has never experienced a power outage or encountered a fuel shortage. She condemns the rumor mongers saying, “Liars even dare to challenge the heavens.”
Other netizens have made jests such as, “Taiwanese cars are running out of fuel, now everyone is commuting on wild boars to work”; “Posting something online now requires pedaling a bicycle-powered generator for two hours first”; and another saying, “Flights are canceled, now you have to paddle a dragon boat to get to Japan.”