REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration Acquire Licensing RightsTAIPEI, Oct 4 (Reuters) - China has "very diverse" ways of interfering in Taiwan's elections in January, from military pressure to spreading fake news, including manipulating opinion polls, a senior Taiwanese security official said on Wednesday.
Ahead of elections, Taiwan routinely flags the risk of interference from Beijing, which claims the democratically governed island as its own, saying China seeks to sway the outcome to candidates who may be more favourable toward the country.
"The way the Chinese Communists interfere in elections is very diversified," Taiwan National Security Bureau Director-General Tsai Ming-yen told lawmakers during a parliamentary committee session.
China can use military pressure, economic coercion or fake news to create a false choice between "war or peace" in the election, seeking to frighten voters, Tsai said.
China has increased military activities around Taiwan since the last election in 2020, and regularly sends warships and fighters into the seas and skies near the island.
Persons:
Dado Ruvic, Tsai Ming, Tsai, William Lai, Lai, Xi Jinping, Ben Blanchard, Gerry Doyle
Organizations:
REUTERS, Rights, Taiwan National Security, Taiwan Affairs Office, Taiwan, Democratic Progressive Party, People's Liberation Army Rocket Force, Thomson
Locations:
Rights TAIPEI, China, Taiwan, Beijing