On July 22, the Taiwan Institute of Sociology at Academia Sinica hosted a seminar titled “CCP Propaganda in Taiwan: Between the Proposer and the Receiver,” where former director of the Asian Fact-Checking Lab Lee Zhide presented a report on “CCP Propaganda in Taiwan,” explaining how the Chinese Communist Party launches media propaganda in Taiwan promoting pro-Communist narratives.
According to the report “CCP Propaganda in Taiwan,” two cases were identified in Taiwan involving CCP propaganda activities. In one case, it was revealed that Zhang Mengchong, a central committee member of the Chinese Unity Promotion Party, and his wife Hong Wenting, a radio host, recorded videos related to Taiwan’s four major referendums and the recall of legislator Lin Changzuo based on scripts provided by the “Fujian Broadcasting and Television Group” between 2020 and 2023, for which they received payment. Both of them have been indicted under the Anti-Infiltration Law.
In another case, prior to the 2024 Taiwan presidential election, the Asian Fact-Checking Lab exposed a fake poll report influenced by the CCP, with allegations against media journalist Lin Xianyuan of cooperating with Lin Jingdong, an employee of the “Fujian Daily Newspaper Group” under the directive to fabricate false polls to sway the election, leading to charges under the Anti-Infiltration Law.
Starting from the end of 2023, the AFCL systematically investigated CCP propaganda spread in Taiwan and multiple cases of breaching the Anti-Infiltration Law, covering grassroots, local media, mainstream media, internet, and apps. They consistently found that such political propaganda, whether in print, online, or video format, could be traced back to media groups based in Fujian province.
Lee Zhide pointed out that since President Ma Ying-jeou took office in 2008, local Chinese media have been allowed to establish a presence in Taiwan. Lin Jingdong arrived in Taiwan as a young journalist and gradually built connections with repeated visits. As her position in the “S trait News” elevated, she became adept at united front work. Her mention in the documentary produced by well-known anti-Communist internet personalities “Eight Optics” and “Min Nan Wolf PYC” brought Lin Jingdong into the limelight.
The “Fujian Network” that they defined includes the “Fujian Broadcasting and Television Group” and the “Fujian Daily Newspaper Group.” These two major media groups have platforms, such as their Douyin accounts and social media accounts, where they extensively reference information from Taiwanese media. AFCL also discovered that CTi TV produces programs for the S trait News.
The report “CCP Propaganda in Taiwan” mentioned that the two satellite TV channels under the Fujian Broadcasting and Television Group, “Southeast Satellite TV” and “S trait Satellite TV,” are considered the CCP’s two ace communication channels to Taiwan. In 2020, they merged to form the “Satellite TV Center” to align with Xi Jinping’s theme of “Accelerating Media Integration Development and Constructing a comprehensive media communication pattern” in the 12th collective study in 2019.
These two TV stations operate at least four Douyin accounts: “S trait Express,” “Taiwan News Face,” “Taiwan Strait Time,” and “Bao Dao Report.” Southeast Satellite TV features “S trait Express,” while S trait Satellite TV is known for “Today’s Taiwan Strait,” with their programs playing a significant role in China.
The “Fujian Network” created by the two major media groups offers a full range of media platforms, from traditional newspapers, television, radio to internet TV, social media accounts. When producing propaganda programs for Taiwan, they sometimes come up with original content but more often criticize Taiwan through Taiwanese voices or directly use and modify works from Taiwanese media before disseminating them to Taiwan and the Chinese-speaking world via the borderless internet.
Lee Zhide emphasized that ignorance towards Communist China poses the greatest threat to Taiwan. He pointed out that cross-strait communications do not enhance Taiwanese people’s understanding of the CCP. Instead, they risk being deceived by the CCP. The government should educate the public to understand post-1949 China comprehensively, as there are aspects of Chinese society that cannot be seen by visiting the mainland.
He also noted a lack of legislation in Taiwan to regulate politically charged content in cooperation with the CCP in the online realm. He believed that the push for the “Digital Intermediary Services Act” shouldn’t be halted, as it allows pro-Communist media to freely collaborate with the CCP on platforms like YouTube without legal repercussions.
Moreover, Lee Zhide mentioned that during their interviews and research, they found that TikTok (overseas version of Douyin) poses significant national security risks in uncertain times. He cited a U.S. House bill that demanded TikTok’s parent company, “ByteDance,” to divest from TikTok within 165 days; otherwise, TikTok would be removed from app stores globally.
Lee Zhide highlighted a scenario where TikTok users in Taiwan might receive messages instructing them to oppose certain government activities or believe false information during these gray periods, potentially jeopardizing national security and stability.
As reported in the “CCP Propaganda in Taiwan” study, in December 2024, units including the Graduate Institute of Journalism at National Taiwan University published their annual research findings on “Fake Information Perception Survey.” The results indicated that in Taiwan’s democratic society, a high percentage of respondents expressed the need for strict control over fake news, reflecting concerns about the proliferation of false information and online scams, calling for legislative measures to reduce the negative impact on Taiwanese society.
Professor Hong Zhenling from National Taiwan University’s Graduate Institute of Journalism expressed that the research results illustrate public expectations toward the government and media. She suggested that the government should consider potential regulatory tools and not halt discussions because of the “Digital Intermediary Act.”
The research also discovered an interesting trend where more Taiwanese citizens became aware of foreign forces producing fake news. Respondents believed that political figures, media professionals, and foreign forces were frequently responsible for generating false information, highlighting the need for vigilance against misinformation and propaganda.