A truth-bearing defense against China
The president of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen, made a rare visit to the United States on Thursday and delivered this message in a speech: Her island nation鈥檚 democratic values are in peril from authoritarian 鈥渂elligerence.鈥� China, in other words, is challenging Taiwan from within 鈥� using disinformation and misinformation to undercut values such as freedom and rule of law 鈥� even more than by threatening a military invasion.
Her words were timely. At this week鈥檚 second Summit for Democracy of some 120 countries, much of the discussion was on ways to counter what Ms. Tsai calls 鈥渃ognitive warfare鈥� on the internet. The first summit was held in 2021 before Russia鈥檚 war in Ukraine. Since then, that war has shown how the resiliency of Ukrainians in rebutting Russian digital propaganda with transparency and accurate information can help their war effort. As U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at the summit, democracies must deal with disinformation and misinformation in a way 鈥渢hat brings truth to bear.鈥�
Taiwan, which holds a presidential election early next year, feels some urgency to improve its democratic shield against China. A year ago, the Chinese military issued a new doctrine that said warfare 鈥渄epends mainly on information to subdue an enemy.鈥� Ms. Tsai has set up a ministry for digital affairs as well as a national institute of cybersecurity. She also plans to set up low-Earth-orbit satellite聽internet service in case China cuts undersea cables.
Yet Taiwan鈥檚 real strength against Chinese propaganda lies in its citizen-led fact-checking groups, such as MyGoPen, Cofacts, and Taiwan FactCheck Center, that correct false information online or in the news media.
鈥淭hese organizations form a collaborative safety net to shield Taiwan鈥檚 unique information space and vulnerable democracy,鈥� write聽scholars Chiaoning Su and Wei-Ping Li in Taiwan Insight. 鈥淭aiwan鈥檚 fact-checking practices offer a timely and fitting lesson as China becomes increasingly bold in its cyber intrusions.鈥�
In addition, Taiwan uses Polis, an online discussion platform, to allow its citizens to weigh in on public topics. 鈥淭he idea is that if everyone is talking in a reasonable way, according to transparent rules of online debate, then conspiracy theories don鈥檛 spread so quickly,鈥� reports The Atlantic magazine.
The nation鈥檚 digital minister, Audrey Tang, describes the strategy as 鈥渙fficial resilience for all.鈥� The power of collective intelligence at work in digital public spaces helps reinforce cohesion and collaboration.
鈥淲e can empower the voices reaching across ideological divides and uncover our shared values in plain sight,鈥� she said in a video at the summit. For Taiwan, those values may mean less peril from a belligerent foe across the Taiwan Strait.聽
