China’s national security authorities have intensified their campaign against what they describe as coordinated disinformation operations run by Taiwan’s military and political establishment, publicly naming 18 individuals and offering substantial rewards for information leading to their arrest.
The Xiamen Public Security Bureau announced bounties of up to 10,000 yuan ($1,401.74) on Saturday for intelligence regarding the 18 individuals, whom Beijing claims are core members of Taiwan’s military psychological operations unit. The move came just one day after Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te pledged to strengthen the island’s defences and called on China to renounce the use of force.
Allegations of Coordinated Online Disinformation Campaign
Chinese authorities allege that Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and its affiliated entities have systematically orchestrated a network of online trolls to advance a “separatist agenda” across multiple domestic and international social media platforms.
Unmasking the Alleged Operatives
China’s national security authorities claim to have identified the individuals allegedly orchestrating the online operations. According to Beijing, a cluster of highly interconnected suspicious online troll accounts operating across multiple social media platforms are managed and directed by Taiwan’s Wang’s Creative Marketing Art Company, which operates under the direction of Taiwan’s Military Intelligence Bureau.
The three individuals identified as key figures in the alleged operation are:
● Lin Ziyu (alias Lin Xiaofei), female, born November 21, 1989, is a lieutenant colonel in the Third Division of Taiwan’s Military Intelligence Bureau. China alleges she directly commands Wang’s Creative Marketing Art Company in its propaganda operations.
● Wang Yiru, male, born December 12, 1985, is identified as the head of Wang’s Creative Marketing Art Company. According to Chinese authorities, he operates under Lin Ziyu’s command and has repeatedly submitted proposals and reports on propaganda activities.
● Chen Kaijie, male, born August 31, 1990, is described as the head of the company’s Tainan office and allegedly directly involved in the propaganda activities.
Specific Allegations and Tactics
Chinese authorities characterize the accounts operated by Wang’s Creative Marketing Art Company as displaying similar content, coordinated activity patterns, and inflammatory messaging designed to fabricate false information and incite antagonistic sentiment among online users.
Beijing alleges the following specific tactics:
● Inciting separatist ideology: The company allegedly distorts historical facts, promotes “Taiwan independence” rhetoric, clamors for “de jure independence,” and spreads claims such as “Taiwan’s sovereignty belongs to the United Nations”
● Fabricating and disseminating false information: Affiliated accounts allegedly create falsified documents, including fraudulent “official directives” from mainland China, and spread rumors about sensitive topics like the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait issues to incite antagonistic sentiment and disrupt social order
● Promoting historical revisionism: These accounts allegedly distort historical truths regarding events such as the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the founding of the People’s Republic of China, attempting to deny the historical contributions of the Communist Party of China
● Psychological warfare activities: Chinese state media reports that the targeted individuals launched smear campaign websites, created seditious games promoting secession, produced fabricated video content, operated illegal radio broadcasts for “infiltration,” and manipulated public opinion with resources from “external forces”
Taiwan Rejects Accusations as Political Theater
Taiwan’s Defence Ministry dismissed the allegations as part of an authoritarian regime’s strategy to divide the population and conduct cognitive warfare. Officials characterized the accusations as exploiting “the free flow of information in our democratic society to piece together and fabricate personal data.”
Taiwan’s official response emphasized:
● The accusations reflect “despotic and pig-headed thinking” aimed at belittling the government and dividing the people
● Defending national security and protecting citizens is the “unshirkable duty of every military officer and soldier”
● Taiwan will not be intimidated by such measures, having previously dismissed a similar bounty issued in June targeting 20 alleged military hackers
China’s Legal Threats and Policy Framework
Chinese authorities framed their crackdown within the context of existing legislation, citing the Anti-Secession Law and official policy documents regarding punishment for separatist activities. Beijing declared that it will “adopt all necessary punitive measures against separatist forces for ‘Taiwan independence'” and “hold them legally accountable for life.”
The national security authorities issued a direct warning to online operatives, stating: “The internet is not beyond the reach of the law,” and called on individuals involved in such activities to “recognize the reality, abandon the fantasy of ‘Taiwan independence,’ refuse to be cannon fodder for separatist agendas, and cease all criminal activities that split the country.”
In its broader political messaging, China reiterated its foundational position that “there is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is an inseparable part of China’s territory.” Beijing accused the DPP authorities of “obstinately clinging to their separatist stance” and “deceiving the people of Taiwan,” while characterizing the pursuit of independence as “a dead end” that “gravely undermines peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.”
Escalating Tensions in Cross-Strait Relations
The bounty announcement represents the latest escalation in Beijing’s campaign of military and political pressure against the democratically governed island, which China views as its own territory despite strong objections from Taipei.
The timing of China’s move follows President Lai’s Friday statement pledging greater efforts to bolster Taiwan’s defences and his call for Beijing to abandon threats of military force. China responded with anger, labeling Lai a “troublemaker” and “war-maker.”
The wanted notice carries largely symbolic value, as Taiwanese intelligence officials do not openly travel to China, and China’s legal system has no jurisdiction over the island. However, analysts view the public exposure of names, photographs, and identity card numbers as part of a broader campaign to apply pressure and intimidate Taiwan’s security establishment. The inclusion of explicit legal threats and warnings demonstrates Beijing’s intent to use both diplomatic pressure and legal frameworks—including domestic Chinese law—to deter activities it views as separatist.
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