Taiwan couple charged with trying to influence elections for China

AFP - A Taiwanese radio host and his wife have been charged with receiving $2.3 million from "overseas sources" including China in exchange for attempting to influence the island's elections and referendums.

The man surnamed Chang and the woman surnamed Hung were charged Monday with violating Taiwan's anti-infiltration law, the district prosecutors' office in southern Chiayi city said in a statement.

Prosecutors allege the couple received the equivalent of NT$74 million ($2.3 million) between 2011 and 2023 from "overseas sources of infiltration", including the Taiwan Affairs Office, a Chinese body that handles cross-strait affairs.

The couple, who belong to a minor political party in Taiwan advocating the island's unification with China, face a maximum penalty of five years in jail and a NT$10 million fine if found guilty.

"External forces have long taken advantage of our country's freedom of speech and inclusive environment of a diverse political environment to promote propaganda, infiltrate, divide... which seriously threaten our national security," prosecutors said.

Chang and Hung allegedly used scripts provided by "external forces" in radio programmes and on social media platforms in a bid to influence public opinion in several elections and referendums dating back to 2021, including this year's presidential and parliamentary elections, prosecutors said.

Among other things, they allegedly "frequently promoted" China's military might to persuade Taiwanese forces "to surrender or defect in the event of a war", the statement said.

Taiwanese officials repeatedly raised concerns about election interference and misinformation ahead of the January elections, which saw President Lai Ching-te swept to power.

China has long considered Taiwan to be part of its territory and in recent years has ramped up military and political pressure on Taipei, which rejects Beijing's claims of sovereignty over the island.

China deploys its military aircraft and naval vessels around the island on a near-daily basis and conducted two large-scale military drills since Lai's inauguration in May.