Taiwanese renowned Internet celebrity “Guan Zhang”, also known as Chen Zhihan, embarked on a six-day journey to Shanghai, China on June 10th, documenting his travels through live broadcasts along the way. He praised the local infrastructure and convenience of life, drawing wide attention and refocusing the public on the continuous actions of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) through digital platforms and social media influencers.
During his live streaming in China, Guan Zhang referred to himself as a “peace ambassador” and repeatedly praised the local transportation, environment, and consumer convenience in his videos. He claimed that China is “as free as Taiwan, except you can’t criticize Xi Jinping”, creating a contrasting image from his past criticism of the CCP.
In response to this, a spokesperson for Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, Liang Wenjie, pointed out on the 12th that foreign nationals need special official permits to conduct live broadcasts in China. The fact that two Taiwanese journalists accompanied Guan Zhang on this trip indicates that the Chinese side had already been “paying special attention” to his actions.
Liang Wenjie further emphasized that short-term sightseeing cannot truly reflect the overall social landscape of China. He suggested that if Guan Zhang wishes to deeply understand the local reality, he should “reside there for an extended period, observe more, and acquire a better understanding.”
Although Guan Zhang’s trip is considered a personal travel itinerary, scholars and observers generally agree that in recent years, the CCP has been systematically absorbing and guiding Taiwanese Internet celebrities and social media creators. According to Taiwan’s National Security Bureau and multiple studies, these actions are part of the CCP’s “cognitive warfare” strategy, aiming to influence Taiwan’s public opinion and younger generations’ values through cultural exchanges disguised as soft power tactics.
At the end of 2024, YouTuber Ba Jiong (real name Wen Ziyu), with over a million followers, and music creator Minnan Wolf (real name Chen Baiyuan) collaborated on a documentary revealing that the CCP’s United Front Work Department actively invited multiple Taiwanese Internet celebrities to travel to China to produce videos. They were provided with content templates, script assistance, and were used to create a “pro-China friendly” image while indirectly criticizing Taiwan’s ruling party and government policies.
Well-known Internet celebrity Potter Wang (real name Chen Jiajin) also claimed that some influencers traveled to Xinjiang, praised the human rights situation there, and saw their videos widely distributed on CCP’s official media and foreign propaganda platforms.
In 2020, Hangzhou launched a “Thousand Taiwanese Youth Host Training Program” aimed at 1,000 participants between 2020-2022. The program offers comprehensive guidance on content creation and live broadcasting for Taiwanese youth, attracting young people from Taiwan for similar training courses annually.
Yu Zongji, former director of the National Defense University’s Political Warfare Academy in Taiwan, stated in an interview with Epoch Times that as the market becomes saturated and competition intensifies within Taiwan, many livestreamers are forced to seek the vast mainland Chinese market as their main source of income. He emphasized that “the Chinese Communist Party is very adept at using money as leverage to gradually absorb influential Taiwanese Internet celebrities.”
In January of this year, the Global Taiwan Institute in Washington DC released a report stating that the CCP provides subsidies ranging from 5,000 to 10,000 RMB per month (approximately $730-1,460) to medium-sized influencers and even offers annual subsidies exceeding 10 million NTD (approximately $305,000) to specific individuals. Radio Free Asia revealed that these funds are often transferred through marketing companies, Alipay transfers, or QR code fundraising to avoid legal scrutiny.
Chen Wenjia, Director of the National and Regional Development Research Center at Kaohsiung University, told The Epoch Times that the CCP strategically distributes resources and operates in layers regarding Internet celebrities and artists. This focus is not indiscriminate but targeted at those with transformative potential and significant influence. Through cultural experiences, travel collaborations, and non-political packaging, they aim at reshaping ideologies.
In response to the escalating cognitive warfare, experts suggest strengthening defense measures simultaneously through legal frameworks and education. Yu Zongji pointed out that Taiwan already has laws such as the Anti-Infiltration Act and the CCP Agent Act as the legal basis, but actual implementation and budget constraints are hindered by opposition parties in the current parliament. He called on elected lawmakers to swiftly reform legislation and regulatory frameworks.
Yu Zongji further stated, “The CCP views Taiwan as an experimental ground for united front operations.” Military and informational pressure imposed by China on Taiwan has been increasing annually, requiring collaboration between the government and the private sector to establish a defense network to maintain democratic order.
An article published by Oxford Academic in 2022 titled “How China’s Cognitive Warfare Works” reported that Beijing initially uses Taiwan as a testing ground for its techniques before exporting them to other Chinese-language diaspora communities and subsequently adjusting them to target non-Chinese-speaking audiences.
The report mentioned that through the integration of artificial intelligence, financial incentives, and cross-platform coordination, the CCP has developed a replicable authoritarian influence model posing a serious challenge to global democracy.
Chen Wenjia suggested that Taiwan’s Ministry of Education should introduce media literacy courses to cultivate young people’s abilities to identify misinformation and united front propaganda. Additionally, the government should establish a cross-departmental united front notification system to transparently monitor and supervise influencers like Internet celebrities and actors. Strengthening cooperation with democratic allies like the United States and Japan is essential to resist the CCP’s embedded marketing activities.
He emphasized, “Only by strengthening both the institutional and cultural aspects can Taiwan maintain the spiritual foundation of democratic autonomy.”
At this critical moment when global democracy is facing challenges, Taiwan, as a part of the free world, with its open media and freedom of speech, is vulnerable to infiltration. Experts stress the importance of distinguishing between normal cultural exchanges and united front activities, clarifying funding sources and organizational backgrounds as essential steps for democratic self-preservation.
Currently, Guan Zhang’s trip to Shanghai continues to receive significant attention from the public. There are calls for society to handle similar incidents with a rational and cautious attitude, avoiding over-speculation and personal attacks. It is vital to deepen the overall understanding and defenses against digital infiltration and information warfare.
Mark Lin, a doctoral candidate in International Business at National Taiwan University who previously studied at Tsinghua University in Beijing, expressed in an article on the “Cross-Strait Youth Platform” last December that the so-called “united front” is not just about political unification but involves multi-faceted infiltration through economics, culture, and public opinion, aiming to win over or divide targets to align with CCP values and positions.
He cautioned that if Taiwanese people suspect and accuse each other, even vying to identify “who is a fellow traveler of the CCP,” it plays directly into the CCP’s strategy of dividing non-aligned groups.