China targets Taiwanese propaganda officers in crackdown on instigators
Chinese police (Illustrative photo: Getty Images)
China has offered a financial reward for information on Taiwanese psychological intelligence officers accused of spreading separatist materials, reports Reuters.
The Chinese police announced a $1,400 reward for information on 18 Taiwanese military officers whom Beijing accuses of conducting psychological warfare and disseminating separatist messages.
“For a long time they plotted to incite separatist activities,” said the Public Security Bureau of Xiamen, China, a city located across the Taiwan Strait from Taiwan.
The announcement came just one day after Taiwan declared it would strengthen the island’s defenses.
The Xiamen Public Security Bureau released photos, names, and ID numbers of specific officers, claiming they organized disinformation campaigns, created provocative games, spread fake videos, and operated illegal radio stations.
In Taiwan, these accusations were described as Beijing’s attempt to divide the people, humiliate the government, and conduct cognitive warfare. The Ministry of Defense emphasized that such symbolic threats have no legal force, as Taiwanese officers are not present in China.
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te recently called on China to abandon coercive measures and pledged to enhance the island’s defense capabilities. In response, Beijing sharply condemned Lai, labeling him a war instigator.
This is not the first instance: in June, China offered a reward for allegedly targeting Taiwanese military hackers, but Taiwan stated then, and maintains now, that it will not be intimidated.
