NSB Director-General Tsai Ming-yen said on Oct. 22 that, ahead of the Nov. 28 local elections, China is shifting its interference toward specific groups. The bureau plans to pass evidence to judicial authorities before the vote.
According to the Taipei Times and the Liberty Times, National Security Bureau Director-General Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) told reporters before a Legislative Yuan Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee meeting on Oct. 22 that China's election interference is shifting toward specific groups. In the bureau's assessment, Beijing is working with airlines to offer discounted tickets to some Taiwanese living in China so they return home to vote.
광고 문의 · 300×250The bureau also believes China is providing illicit funding to candidates and political groups it favors. Tactics cited by the authorities include buying votes with cheap sightseeing tours to China, spreading disinformation and controversial content, running illegal betting pools, and hacking specific people to steal election intelligence. These are Taiwanese authorities' claims, and the report did not make public evidence in individual cases.
Surge in cyber intrusions and transnational repression concerns
The bureau said the Government Service Network faced an average of about 2.58 million intrusion attempts a day last month, sharply up from June, and it does not rule out a link to preparations for election interference. It is using artificial intelligence tools to trace the sources of disinformation.
Tsai also referred to the case of comedian Huang Yi-hao (黃逸豪), known for mocking China, who was injured in an allegedly staged traffic accident. New Taipei prosecutors suspect China instigated it to stop his performances, and several people, including a Chinese national identified as K, were reported indicted on Wednesday. Tsai said it crossed a serious line for Taiwan's democratic and rule-of-law society and raised the possibility of amending laws.
Maritime activity and Beijing's position
Tsai said China Coast Guard activity east of Taiwan is becoming routine and research vessels are often seen. He voiced particular concern about Chinese militia fishing boats appearing east and southwest of Taiwan. The Supreme Prosecutors' Office separately urged the public not to help hostile foreign forces or be used as local collaborators.
The report carried no response from the Chinese government, and this paper could not confirm an official position that day. China has long treated the Taiwan question as an internal affair, and any rebuttal should be reported alongside. This article relays the Taiwanese authorities' account, not independently verified fact.
