Taiwanese Participation in China-Backed Events Rises Amidst Beijing's Influence Campaign

An illustration from April 11, 2023, depicts chess pieces positioned in front of Chinese and Taiwanese flags.

A recent study revealed that in 2024, nearly 40,000 Taiwanese individuals participated in industry events within China. These events, including conferences and trade fairs, received support from the Chinese government. This activity coincides with Beijing's ongoing efforts to exert influence over the island, employing both military pressure and a charm offensive.

China, which considers Taiwan a part of its territory despite Taiwan's self-governance, has historically utilized a dual approach. This involves the threat of military action alongside attempts to engage with individuals perceived as sympathetic to Beijing's perspective.

Taiwanese security officials express concern over what they perceive as Beijing's influence campaigns aimed at swaying public opinion. This concern has grown since the gradual resumption of travel links between Taipei and Beijing following the COVID-19 pandemic. The extent of these programs, however, had not been systematically documented until now.

The study, conducted by the Taiwan Information Environment Research Center (IORG), a non-governmental organization based in Taiwan, found that approximately 39,374 Taiwanese attended over 400 business events in China last year. These events were either supported or organized by government entities.

IORG's research involved analyzing over 7,300 articles from a news portal managed by China's top Taiwan policy maker, the Taiwan Affairs Office. These articles provided details about the events, including their size, location, and agenda. The analysis utilized AI-assisted tools and was verified by IORG researchers.

The number of Taiwanese attending state-supported business events in China increased by 3% compared to 2023. The agriculture, tourism, biotechnology, and medical industries were among the most represented sectors.

The IORG report noted that these industries are frequently targeted by the Chinese Communist Party, which uses economic means to exert political pressure on Taiwan.

In February, Wang Huning, a high-ranking leader within the ruling Communist Party, stated during an internal meeting on Taiwan that Beijing was working to expand people-to-people exchanges to "deepen cross-strait integration and development," according to state news agency Xinhua.

The events surveyed by IORG in 2024 included a job fair held in June in Fujian province, which aimed to attract over 1,500 Taiwanese university graduates.

According to IORG co-director Yu Chihhao, China's influence campaigns in Taiwan employ a strategy of "reward and punishment." Military exercises and intimidation serve as punishment, while cross-strait business collaborations represent rewards. China conducted two days of war games near Taiwan this month.