By Shelley Shan / Staff reporter
Beijing would seek to influence voters ahead of the Nov. 28 local elections and use disinformation campaigns to undermine public confidence in Washington’s commitment to defending Taiwan ahead of a planned meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and US President Donald Trump, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday.
Despite frequent interactions between Trump and Xi this year, significant differences remain between the two countries over trade, technology and geopolitics, MAC Deputy Minister Shen Yu-chung (沈有忠) said at a panel discussion on Taiwan-US-China relations hosted by the Taiwan Inspirations Association.
US-China relations remain defined by strategic competition, he added.
Mainland Affairs Council Deputy Minister Shen Yu-chung speaks at a panel discussion in Taipei yesterday.
Photo: Chen Yu-fu, Taipei Times
The leaders of the US, China and Russia are reportedly scheduled to attend an APEC summit, but Washington and Beijing hold differing positions on trilateral nuclear disarmament talks, which could affect the course of the summit, he said.
“Whenever Trump and Xi meet, Beijing launches a cognitive warfare campaign to stir up anti-US sentiment in Taiwan and make Taiwanese question Washington’s commitment to defending the nation,” Shen said.
Aside from Taiwan’s local elections next month, the US is preparing for its midterm elections, while China is focused on the ongoing Fifth Plenum of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) Central Committee, he said.
“Our assessment is that China would attempt to influence the local elections in Taiwan. Not only would it use Taiwanese entertainers to manipulate public opinion, but it would also intensify transnational repression to fuel social polarization in Taiwan,” he said.
The Fifth Plenum is expected to pave the way for a personnel reshuffle at the CCP’s 21st National Congress next year, Shen said.
Many CCP Central Committee members were removed from their posts, reported missing or placed under investigation after the Fourth Plenum last year, and the absentee rate at this year’s Fifth Plenum would be higher, he said.
Rather than going to great lengths to interfere in Taiwan’s elections, the CCP should focus on addressing China’s economic, social and political problems, and respond positively to petitions from university students, he said.
“We should not sell ourselves short or give up our democratic way of life. Personally, I think we have reached a point where many democratic countries oppose any unilateral change to the ‘status quo’ across the Taiwan Strait by force,” he said.
Taiwan has a geographical advantage as it lies at the center of the First Island Chain and serves as a key strategic hub in the Indo-Pacific region, Shen said.
Many countries trust Taiwan and seek partnerships with it because of its semiconductor industry, he added.