50 PERSPECTIVES ON BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS | VOL 43 | 2025 paganda in Taiwan’s media? A number of journalists, politicians, and lawmakers would direct attention back to the laws in place. These laws (discussed previously) provide mechanisms for Taiwan to protect its democracy against China’s media manipulation tactics, as demonstrated by Taiwan’s efforts against disinformation. Combatting disinformation—existing solutions When disinformation appears in Taiwan’s media, existing laws help safeguard Taiwan’s democratic principles, including press freedoms. The spread of disinformation in Taiwan’s media became a prominent concern during the most recent elections in 2018 and 2020 (research for the 2024 election is ongoing). Like political propaganda, disinformation also shows up in distinctively political contexts. Taiwan defines disinformation with the overarching characteristics of “1) false information, 2) motivated by malice, and 3) harmful to organizations, individuals, or social order” (Quirk, 2021, p. 550). Based on their definitions, both propaganda and disinformation threaten democratic processes by circulating information that is neither truthful nor intended to serve the public good. China, in employing propaganda and disinformation, seeks to further dismantle Taiwan’s independence and promote unification. In response, the Taiwanese government and regulatory bodies that keep checks on media through the legal framework have successfully been able to track and penalize unreliable sources of disinformation. One notable example of Taiwan’s successful resistance against disinformation involves regulatory action against CTiTv, an ex-broadcast network owned by the Want Want China Times Media Group. Due to multiple violations under the Satellite Broadcasting Act, the National Communications Commission refused to reinstate the license of the network. One fine, which totaled NT$1 million (US$32,420), resulted from a political talk show on the network that interviewed a farmer claiming, “the price of pomelo was so low last year that 2 million tonnes of the fruit had to be dumped into the Zengwen Reservoir.” The comment was not fact-checked, yet evidence suggests that it “severely disrupted the agricultural market” (Shan, 2019). This example demonstrates the effectiveness of the laws that are in place in ensuring media accuracy and truthfulness. In the context of China’s attempts at infiltrating Taiwan’s media, Taiwan has shown that it can oppose disinformation with rigorous fact-checking at both local and international levels. Taiwan government’s successful strategies against disinformation during elections provide a promising foundation for addressing propaganda and censorship more broadly. If propaganda and censorship fueled by China’s motives for reunification meet strict resistance from Taiwan, the continued predominance of freedom of speech and of the press is likely. Taiwan would then be able to maintain its independent government apart from China. Aaron Huang (2024) outlines Taiwan’s comprehensive approach for combating disinformation through five strategies “1) systemically monitoring traditional media and social media, 2) debunking falsehoods by using truthful information-spreading strategies, 3) raising awareness of sharp power through a public health metaphor, 4) creating and enforcing laws to punish sharp power actors, and 5) collaborating with social media and messaging apps as well as their users” (p. 129). The fourth strategy in Huang’s framework emphasizes the importance of laws to counter disinformation. Indeed, the Anti-Infiltration Act initiated in 2019 was a direct response to the disinformation taking place in the 2018 election. The other strategies highlight the importance of public communication and enhanced monitoring efforts to ensure detection and prevention of disinformation. With these resistance principles, Taiwan has a structure to combat the CCP reunification agenda. By continuing public communication initiatives and enhancing monitoring efforts, Taiwan can resist attempts to diminish its independent governance. Conclusion There is no doubt that the historical tactics China has used in hopes of dismantling Taiwan’s independent media through propaganda, censorship, and disinformation will persist. Taiwan’s ability to maintain its independence and remain distanced from China’s goal of unification currently lies within its legal framework of press protections. While measures are in place to defend independence, Taiwan will need to continually be proactive in countering attacks. China will find new avenues to bypass these laws, and Taiwan must find new avenues of defense. These may take the form of creating more laws, amending other laws, new investigative measures, or new regulations not yet considered. The media influences the beliefs and societal order of a governing body, so if Taiwan’s media fails against the attacks of China, its democracy will follow. Taiwan’s government so far has withstood pressure for unification with China, and it is in the best interest of the self-governed body to persevere with diligent work toward these defensive measures. Democracy must prevail for Taiwan to exist.
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