【Epoch Times, April 17, 2026】According to Reuters, Taiwan security officials and think tank research data reveal an escalating war without gunfire – the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) manipulating internal Taiwanese opinion as part of an information war against Taiwan. Last December, while CCP warships and warplanes conducted large-scale exercises near Taiwan, another operation was unfolding in sync through smartphone screens.
On TikTok’s overseas version Douyin, a 51-second video released by a CCP-operated news agency featured KMT leader Zheng Liwen accusing President Lai Ching-te of inviting CCP aggression. Zheng Liwen claimed that Lai Ching-te’s pursuit of independence was leading Taiwan’s “23 million people” down a “dead-end road.” The video quickly spread on Facebook, YouTube, and other popular platforms in Taiwan.
According to Reuters, data provided by five Taiwan security officials and the Information Operations Research Group (IORG) in Taiwan shows that CCP state media, along with KMT-associated internet celebrities and political figures, are increasingly amplifying criticism of the ruling DPP party within Taiwan.
The CCP gathers public criticisms of Taiwan’s government from KMT leaders and other opposition figures and integrates them into a flood of information warfare against the DPP on CCP state media and domestic social media platforms. These comments are then reposted, often repackaged and distributed on popular platforms in Taiwan including Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and Douyin, sometimes embellished or presented in a specific way to obscure CCP manipulation.
Taiwan security officials state that the CCP has previously utilized Taiwanese individuals for propaganda purposes and has now significantly strengthened this information warfare strategy by using familiar voices and accents to make these messages sound more credible.
Taiwan officials say this is an attempt to discredit the Taiwan government’s so-called “quest for independence.” Additionally, according to the IORG and three national security officials, this propaganda offensive seems to be an attempt to exaggerate CCP military strength as the DPP seeks to increase the country’s defense budget by $40 billion, aiming to convince Taiwan that buying more weapons from the US is futile.
The Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of China told Reuters that they are enhancing the media literacy and psychological resilience of the military in response to the rapid escalation of the CCP’s “cognitive warfare.” President Lai Ching-te’s office stated that peace between the two sides must be “built on strength, not compromise with authoritarianism.”
Beijing refuses to engage in dialogue with the DPP government and labels Lai Ching-te as a “separatist.”
The CCP openly claims not to rule out using force to annex Taiwan and has been preparing for an invasion. Information warfare is a critical part of the CCP’s attempt to undermine Taiwan without resorting to military force.
Meanwhile, the KMT claims that the party has taken actions to seek closer ties with Beijing in an effort to defuse the crisis escalated by the so-called “provocations by the DPP government towards China.”
Zheng Liwen, KMT leader, recently visited Beijing to meet with CCP leader Xi Jinping. Xi stated during the meeting that the KMT and CCP must “consolidate political mutual trust” and work together to promote “unification.”
In a statement to Reuters, the KMT referred to Zheng’s trip to Beijing as fulfilling her election promises and continuing the longstanding tradition of high-level meetings between the KMT and the CCP. The statement also mentioned that while there are numerous differences between the two parties, both believe that differences should be resolved through dialogue.
The IORG’s research data reveals the operational mechanism of this CCP propaganda offensive. This non-partisan organization, composed of social scientists and data analysts, receives research funding from governments in the US and Europe as well as academic institutions in Taiwan.
The data shows that in the fourth quarter of 2025, 1,076 accounts operated by CCP state media published around 560,000 videos on Douyin, with approximately 18,000 involving Taiwan-related issues. Utilizing facial recognition technology, the IORG identified 57 Taiwanese individuals in 2,730 videos, with the results verified by IORG researchers and confirmed by Reuters.
From October to November last year, the number of videos featuring Taiwanese voices more than doubled compared to the previous year, with monthly viewing duration jumping by 164% to 369 minutes.
Notably, among the top 25 Taiwanese figures that appeared most frequently in these CCP propaganda videos, 13 are affiliated with the KMT, ranging from current legislators and party representatives to officials from the KMT’s past governance. Two are senior members of small opposition parties supporting unification with the CCP, and 10 are internet celebrities known for criticizing the ruling DPP.
KMT leader Zheng Liwen ranked first in frequency of appearances in these CCP propaganda videos, appearing in 460 videos across 68 Douyin accounts, generating over 5 million interactions including likes, comments, and shares.
These videos amplify her claims of “peaceful coexistence” with the CCP, allege that President Lai Ching-te is a “pawn” of external forces, and describe the DPP’s stance on Taiwan independence as “destructive.” After airing on CCP state media and social media platforms, some of the content is repackaged and disseminated on popular platforms in Taiwan.
In a statement to Reuters, the KMT mentioned that Zheng’s remarks reflect the Taiwanese people’s desire for “peace,” and that even though mainland Chinese media tends to include more Taiwanese voices, it is based on the existing diversity of opinions in Taiwan.
Taiwanese retired Army Colonel Lai Yueqian claimed in a video released by a CCP news agency that during the CCP’s military exercises near Taiwan last December, CCP drones had “entered” Taiwan without detection. He hinted that the CCP might launch a “decapitation operation” against President Lai Ching-te while he was asleep. The video later appeared on Facebook and YouTube.
The IORG noted that claims about CCP drones approaching Taiwan initially appeared in videos released by CCP military-managed social media accounts. Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense denied Lai Yueqian’s claims.
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council told Reuters that the government hopes these retired military officials “consider public perception” and should not echo Beijing’s rhetoric. They emphasized that these officials “must not forget the vow of loyalty to Taiwan made in the past.”
According to a survey released by the Election Study Center of National Chengchi University in January of this year, since 2020, the proportion of Taiwanese people supporting indefinitely maintaining the current status quo has increased by 8 percentage points, reaching 33.5%; support for maintaining the status quo but moving towards independence has decreased by nearly 4 percentage points to 21.9%; while the proportion hoping for “rapid unification with China” or “moving towards unification while maintaining the status quo” remains relatively stable, around 7%.
It is currently unclear whether the CCP’s escalating information warfare has been effective. According to annual survey data, since 2024, Taiwanese attitudes towards independence or unification have not shown significant changes, roughly corresponding with the timeframe of increased CCP information warfare studied by the IORG. As the CCP’s primary political opponent in Taiwan, although the DPP lost the majority of seats in parliament in 2024, they have won the last three presidential elections.
However, this information warfare offensive “creates an environment that makes it easier for China to gain support because its strategy essentially undermines morale, instills feelings of despair, and convinces people that autonomous development has no future, and being annexed by China is the best choice,” said Bonnie Glaser, Director of the Indo-Pacific Program at the American think tank German Marshall Fund.
The National Security Bureau of the Republic of China highlighted in a report released in January that Taiwanese intelligence officials recorded over 45,000 sets of fake social media accounts and 2.3 million pieces of false information related to cross-strait issues last year. The report outlined Beijing’s information warfare goals: intensifying internal divisions in Taiwan; weakening the resistance of Taiwanese people; and manipulating public opinion.
A Taiwanese security official mentioned regarding CCP state media: “They want you to doubt the military, doubt Taiwan, and make you feel that if a war breaks out, no one will come to help.”
Last year, the Taiwan government preemptively stated in civil defense handbooks distributed to households that, as tensions with the CCP escalated, any talks of Taiwan surrender must be regarded as false information. This indicates that while the CCP has not yet launched a war against Taiwan, the information war has already intensified.