Taiwan alleges that high-ranking Chinese officials met last week to coordinate efforts aimed at interfering with Taiwan's presidential election scheduled for January 13. According to a source, the meeting involved representatives from various departments, coordinating their attempts to skew public opinion in favor of a particular candidate.
China has long been accused of meddling in Taiwan's elections to boost the chances of candidates with stronger ties to the mainland. Last month, tensions between Taiwan and China intensified, as China increased its military, political, and economic pressure on the democratic island.
Vice President Lai Ching-te of Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) leads in the polls, leaving his rivals from the pro-China camp trailing behind. Beijing has openly criticized the DPP for years, accusing it of seeking to separate Taiwan from China.
The Chinese official responsible for Taiwan affairs, Wang Huning, was reportedly present at the meeting. Wang is a long-term advisor to Chinese President Xi Jinping and was appointed to a top role in the Central Leading Group for Taiwan Affairs earlier this year.
At the meeting, Wang reportedly emphasized the importance of enhancing the Communist Party's influence over public opinion in Taiwan and reducing the likelihood of external parties uncovering evidence of Chinese meddling.
CNN reached out to China's Taiwan Affairs Office for comment but did not receive a response.
The allegations come as tensions continue to rise between Taiwan and China, with many predicting that the election could further exacerbate the situation. If Lai Ching-te remains the frontrunner, Beijing may see his victory as a direct challenge to its authority over Taiwan and respond accordingly.
Critics accuse Beijing of deploying various tactics to interfere in Taiwan's elections, including instigating chaos, spreading misinformation, and hacking into Taiwanese political websites. In 2019, Taiwan's legislative body passed an anti-infiltration law to prevent foreign interference in its elections.
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