Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has issued a warning to citizens about alleged interference by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the recall process of Kuomintang (KMT) lawmakers.
According to the Taipei Times, the KMT recently filed a recall petition against a DPP legislator, while campaign groups have submitted 20 recall vote proposals targeting 19 KMT lawmakers. Among the campaigners are YouTuber Pa Chiung and Robert Tsao, the founder of United Microelectronics Corp, who claim that KMT politicians are working with the CCP to weaken the DPP’s position in the legislature.
China’s Alleged Election-Meddling Tactics
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) had previously documented CCP’s tactics to influence Taiwan’s elections, which include:
- Funding preferred candidates
- Providing free trips to China for local voters
- Financially backing polling agencies and media to push propaganda
DPP legislator Lai Jui-lung stated that the CCP’s goal is to paralyze Taiwan’s central government, making the recall movement a major opportunity to counteract this influence.
“Using democracy to subvert democracy is the cheapest and simplest way to control the legislature,” Lai warned.
DPP Calls for Public Vigilance
Rosalia Wu, chief executive of the DPP caucus, highlighted that China has a long history of meddling in Taiwan’s elections using undemocratic methods. She stressed that the recall process is akin to a large-scale election, and China’s interference is expected to intensify.
“We have seen the many ploys and schemes the CCP has used in our past elections. Their plans to meddle in the recall won’t subside but will escalate further,” Wu cautioned.
With growing concerns over external influence, DPP officials urge the Taiwanese public to remain alert and cautious about potential foreign manipulation.
