Taiwan’s presidential election is coming, experts reveal the CCP’s cognitive warfare and election campaign | Taiwan election | Legislative election | CCP’s election campaign

[The Epoch Times, November 08, 2023](Epoch Times reporter Zhong Yuan reported from Taiwan) The Taiwanese legal person Dragon Culture and Education Foundation held a symposium today (8th). Experts point out that the Chinese Communist Party’s cognitive warfare and intermediation methods are diverse. As Taiwan’s election enters the final stage, the CCP’s interference in Taiwan’s election is becoming more and more obvious, reminding the public to carefully protect Taiwan’s freedom and democracy.

Less than 70 days before next year’s presidential election, the third symposium of the “Understanding China and Forward Campus Series” hosted by the Dragon Human Cultural and Educational Foundation of Taiwan was held today at Tunghai University. It is expected that this semester (2023 academic year) will continue to hold symposiums in various colleges and universities in Taiwan. Scholars and experts will be invited to the campus to share their views on political economy, international situation, national security, etc., and to discuss and interact with college youth. This helps young people understand the current situation in China and the cross-strait situation.

As Taiwan’s presidential election approaches next year, the CCP’s interference in Taiwan’s election has become increasingly apparent.

The host Shen Youzhong, a professor of political science at Tunghai University, mentioned that as Taiwan’s presidential election approaches next year, the CCP’s influence on Taiwan has become increasingly obvious. “In addition to traditional civil and military intimidation, various cognitive operations, false information differentiation, improper fund flows, etc. are also worthy of our heightened vigilance to prevent manipulation and influence on the election.”

Shen Youzhong pointed out that the CCP’s cognitive operations against Taiwan may have been relatively direct in the past, but now, affected by the international environment, it may not only affect Taiwan’s internal elections, but may even regularly target national defense independence during non-election periods. Issues, doubts about beauty, the theory of invalidity of democracy, etc., to carry out issue operations of cognitive warfare.

Professor Cui Jinkui, director of the Institute of International Politics at National Chung Hsing University, said that in recent years, the CCP has become increasingly sophisticated in intervening in Taiwan’s politics and elections, and its methods and methods have become increasingly diverse, trying to influence the development of Taiwan’s democratic politics in various ways. He pointed out that in the early days, the CCP’s election mainly focused on presidential-level elections, but now there is a trend and possibility of penetrating down to local elections.

The CCP’s cognitive warfare and intermediation methods have diversified and penetrated Taiwanese society.

Cui Jinkui pointed out that in terms of means and methods of the CCP’s election, in addition to traditional fake news and information warfare methods, recently there have been reports of funding specific polling companies, academic groups, and individuals through special channels. The goal is to target the Taiwanese people. Conduct cognitive warfare. In the final stage of the 2024 presidential and legislative elections, the more intense and uncertain the election situation becomes, the higher the chances and possibility of the CCP’s election interference and infiltration.

Cai Rongxiang, a professor at the Department of Political Science at National Chung Cheng University, pointed out that the CCP’s mode of election in Taiwan can basically be divided into direct and indirect election. He analyzed that, first, the direct election was directly operated by the Taiwan Affairs Office of the Taiwan Policy Office of the Chinese Communist Party government to criticize the ruling issue of Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party government. Second, the CCP intervenes in Taiwan’s elections through agents, allowing Taiwanese governors to work and receive remuneration in the mainland, and then assists in the election and support of political parties and politicians in Taiwan that are friendly to the CCP. Therefore, in the CCP’s media selection model for Taiwan, indirect media selection is more penetrating and influential than direct media selection.

Zhang Chunyan, a professor at the Department of Southeast Asian Studies at Jinan International University, said that according to a survey by the Varieties of Democracy Project at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, Taiwan has ranked first among the countries in the world that have suffered most from overseas disinformation attacks in the past ten years. Most of these false messages are purposeful information attacks, and some even involve “cognitive warfare,” which is “using the media, the Internet, and other information to change people’s consciousness, cognition, actions, or decisions.”

Chang Chun-yan also pointed out that these attacks often use controversial information as a channel, with the purpose of confusing or destroying Taiwan’s identity, institutional understanding, and trust, and causing mutual antagonism. The latest domestic survey also found that 83% of the people have received false news, and most people believe that such false news will reduce the number of targets for attack or their trust in Taiwan’s system. It is obvious that the cognitive warfare situation created by the large number and frequent disinformation attacks has indeed caused the Taiwanese society under attack to deepen the “democratic fragility”.

Lin Zili, associate professor of the Department of Political Science at Tunghai University, mentioned that “cognitive warfare” is a key concept of the CCP’s use of non-traditional military methods to disintegrate the enemy’s will. The target is not limited to the people of Taiwan, but a global action. In addition to equating the “One China Principle” with international law, it attacks the democratic values ​​of democratic countries and further deepens political differences and polarization in the democratic world. Beijing’s global awareness campaign aims to establish a CCP-style international order of power, in which cooperation between countries is determined by national strength, rather than the liberal position of equality for each country.

Lin Zili said that the 2024 Taiwan presidential election and the U.S. election are also Beijing’s goals. They are not necessarily to help any party or person be elected or defeated, but to further plunge the country into internal confrontation and conflict through election campaigns. confrontation.

After the talk, the host and the talkers interacted with the university youth present and raised questions on “How Taiwan counterattacks and prevents the CCP’s cognitive operations” and “The differences between cognitive operations, public diplomacy and propaganda”. Experts and scholars Also analyze and answer in depth one by one.

The Longren Cultural and Educational Foundation stated that the fourth symposium of the “Understanding China ‧ Forward Campus Series” will be held by Tamkang University on November 15. The theme is “The Triangular Relationship between the United States, China and Taiwan under the Power Contest”, and the event will be held by Tamkang University. Ma Zhunwei, assistant professor of the Institute of International Affairs and Strategy of Jiangsu University, hosted the meeting and invited Lu Xinji, assistant professor of the Institute of International Politics of National Chung Hsing University, Wang Wangochen, assistant researcher of the First Research Institute of the China Economic Research Institute, senior media person Guo Hongzhang, and Tamkang University Assistant Professor Lin Yingyou of the Institute of International Affairs and Strategy attended the talk. Everyone is welcome to sign up.

Editor in charge: Lin Yan#