00:00 In the approach of the crucial election in Taiwan, we observe a multiplication of
00:03 fake and misleading videos on TikTok, which mainly target candidates in favor of
00:08 island independence.
00:09 This campaign of influence is, according to Taiwanese experts and representatives, orchestrated
00:14 by Beijing, who claims Taiwan as part of its territory.
00:18 The voters will go to the polls on Saturday to elect a new president during a decisive
00:23 scrutiny for the future relations of the island with an increasingly aggressive China.
00:27 The battle to influence Taiwanese voters has been raging online for months, with
00:32 approving netizens commenting and sharing videos on social networks.
00:36 Often accompanied by graphic screaming and dramatic music, some of the videos shared
00:41 on TikTok are likely to come from Douyin, the version of the app available in
00:46 mainland China, have noticed the digital investigation teams of the AFP.
00:50 The most widespread infox concerns Xiao Bikim, a candidate and Xi Jinping's confidant,
00:55 with the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) in power.
01:00 "She's a foreigner," a netizen said in one of the many videos shared on TikTok
01:05 about her, relaying the idea that she would secretly maintain American citizenship and
01:10 would therefore be uneligible.
01:11 Ms. Xiao has repeatedly stated that she renounced her American nationality several decades ago,
01:17 and the AFP has found her name on a list of people who have renounced their nationality.
01:22 Experts believe this is an example of Beijing's desire to use
01:27 false information or partially true statements to discredit political figures
01:32 opposed to the idea that Taiwan is part of China.
01:35 "The information campaigns carried out by the People's Republic of China are sustained,
01:40 systematic and produce enormous volumes of misinformation, all of which can discredit
01:44 the legitimacy of Taiwanese democracy," said Chinese expert Jonathan Sullivan
01:50 from Nottingham University to the AFP.
01:52 "Taiwan faces an extremely well-equipped and resourceful rival to win hearts and minds,"
01:57 he added.
01:58 From Duyan to TikTok
02:00 In May 2022, accounts pretending to be Taiwanese users began to broadcast
02:06 videos and even politics as part of a coordinated effort to indicate the
02:10 US Graphica study cabinet in a recent report.
02:13 Mr. Lei accused China of using all means to interfere with this election,
02:18 including disinformation.
02:20 Beijing has rejected these allegations, calling them rumors.
02:24 China has long opposed the DPP, the party of President Tsai Ing-wen, to power since
02:30 2016.
02:31 It considers Taiwan a de facto sovereign state and does not accept China's claims
02:36 on this territory.
02:37 While the DPP candidate is leading the polls, a senior Chinese official presented
02:43 this vote as a choice between war and peace.
02:45 This theme is recurrent in a majority of misleading or erroneous content identified
02:49 by the AFP as well as by other verification bodies, namely that the DPP is acting against
02:54 Taiwan and on US orders.
