Taiwan Extends Support to Canada in Combating Beijing’s Interference
Taiwan has pledged to share with Canada its experiences in countering China’s foreign interference.
Drawing upon Taiwan’s experience, Mr. Wu highlighted the issue of Beijing’s influence, particularly through its United Front Work Department (UFWD), known for its role in conducting foreign interference operations. He noted the UFWD strategically leveraged its resources, including people, immigration channels, and the Chinese diaspora communities, not only in Canada but also other countries, in efforts to achieve its objectives.
Related Stories
He said China aims to infiltrate Taiwanese society through disinformation campaigns and cognitive warfare, often utilizing media outlets more sympathetic to China than to Taiwan.
“We have told the Canadian friends that if they think that this information campaign or [UFWD] or that kind of thing is getting too serious in Canada, we would like to engage with the Canadian government officials so that we can share our experiences with our Canadian friends, and not limited to Canada,” he said.
China analysts have pointed to Beijing’s control and utilization of the media to promote its image and further its global objectives.
Mr. Ho said Beijing employs three types of media outlets to extend its influence abroad and control overseas Chinese communities. These outlets include overseas branches of Chinese state media, Hong Kong-originated outlets influenced by Beijing, and overseas media established by Chinese groups aligned with Beijing’s interests.
Mr. Wu said that by influencing online and print news sources, Beijing distorts the perspectives of many members of the Chinese diaspora communities. Citing instances in New Zealand and Malaysia, he noted that a significant portion of the diaspora now holds the belief that the conflict in Ukraine was initiated by the United States.
Mr. Wu’s statement follows the commencement of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, during which Taiwan was excluded. Taiwan’s officials and representatives consistently face exclusion from international organizations and dialogues, largely due to pressure exerted by Beijing, which asserts territorial authority over the island democracy, even though the Chinese Communist Party has never governed it.
Source link
