The upcoming Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman election set to take place on the 18th has stirred controversy, with candidate Hao Longbin pointing out attacks by foreign forces’ internet armies. Fellow candidate Zhang Yazhong has raised concerns about the involvement of AI technology from the Chinese Communist Party in influencing public opinion within Taiwan’s political parties.
In the 2025 KMT chairman election, there are six candidates including Hao Longbin, Luo Zhiqiang, Zheng Liwen, Zhang Yazhong, Cai Zhihong, and Zhuo Boyuan. In a recent Facebook post, Hao Longbin mentioned that he decided to run in the election after struggling with himself, hoping initially for a stronger candidate than himself to succeed without him. However, facing relentless attacks, especially employing foreign forces, he became more resolute, understanding the reason for his candidacy.
Hao Longbin stressed that he firmly opposes foreign forces, whether through business or special means, seizing the autonomy of the KMT. He believes that lies will eventually be exposed in a special way. This chairmanship election has been an eye-opening educational experience for him, surpassing the attacks of national team internet armies, going beyond his past experiences. Many fake accounts, both domestic and foreign, have been used on the internet to spread false information attacking him.
Zhang Yazhong stated that their team uncovered at least a dozen virtual anchor channels using a unified template to comment on the KMT chairman election with a clear bias towards a specific candidate. He questioned whether AI technology from the Chinese Communist Party has intervened in shaping public opinion within Taiwan’s political parties. He accused these actions of violating fair competition principles and the party’s credibility, urging all camps to proactively declare their innocence. He also called on relevant authorities to clarify whether these actions violate the Anti-Infiltration Act.
In response to the controversy surrounding Chinese Communist Party intervention in the KMT chairman election, Democratic Progressive Party legislator Chen Guanting emphasized that CCP interference is not a challenge faced by a single party but a threat that all parties in Taiwan must collectively confront. He stressed that only by all parties considering Taiwan’s national interests can they unite in facing external threats.
Chen Guanting pointed out that warnings about CCP infiltration into Taiwan have long been dismissed as creating divisions, exaggerating threats, or being politically motivated operations. However, Hao Longbin’s accusations on social media and senior media figure Zhao Shaokang convening a press conference directly accusing CCP internet armies of interference prove that such threats are not only real but have become severe to the extent that even the KMT’s internal elections are not exempt.
Regarding Zhao Shaokang’s appeal for national security units to investigate, Chen Guanting underscored that he would request the national security agencies to take this matter seriously during legislative inquiries. He noted that if internet army attacks involve the production of deepfake videos using AI technology, it goes beyond an issue of election fairness, impacting overall information security and societal trust. The misuse of such technologies may not only affect political figures but also ordinary citizens, hence the urgent need to establish preventive measures.
Former legislator and chairperson of the New Power Party, Wang Wanyu, expressed that the KMT has finally realized the depth of CCP infiltration into Taiwan, which transcends party lines and poses a comprehensive threat to Taiwan’s democratic politics. CCP interference in elections is not new. The vast majority of Taiwanese are well aware that the CCP has long been using social media, AI technology, and specific media to systematically create fake news to influence Taiwan’s democratic development and public opinion.
Wang Wanyu emphasized that for a long time, the KMT mistakenly viewed CCP intervention as assistance, a form of “foreign ally relationship,” and even developed a dependence without awareness. It is not until today, with direct CCP intervention and manipulation in the KMT chairman election, openly supporting their favored candidate, that the KMT has realized they are the biggest victims.
Wang Wanyu urged that KMT chairman candidate Zhu Lilun and the other six candidates should deeply reflect on the past. The KMT has long been neglecting to strengthen national security laws to prevent CCP infiltration, denying the necessity of the Anti-Infiltration Act and the Agent Act, even mistakenly labeling these laws as tools of political contention. Now, the KMT should retrace their steps, face the reality, cease treating enemies as friends, and squarely acknowledge the long-term harm the CCP poses to Taiwan’s democracy.