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2 months ago | 
rfa.org | Zhuang Jing |Dong Zhe |Alan Lu
Read “Cross-strait shadows: Inside the Chinese influence campaign against Taiwan” (Part I here and Part II here)TAIPEI, Taiwan – Marketed as a cross-strait collaboration, “Taiwan’s Voice” presents itself as a local commentary platform. But behind the familiar hosts and studio lies a deeper link to China’s state-run media.
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Feb 14, 2025 | 
rfa.org | Rita Cheng |Zhuang Jing |Alan Lu
Since the second term of U.S. President Donald Trump began, multiple claims have circulated online suggesting that the U.S. has changed its policy toward Taiwan. Given Taiwan’s role in U.S.-China relations, any perceived policy shift can fuel uncertainty, influence public opinion, and escalate regional tensions. Misinterpretations or deliberate misinformation could shape global narratives, making such rumors highly significant. China views Taiwan as a breakaway province that must be reunified.
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Jan 20, 2025 | 
rfa.org | Alan Lu |Zhuang Jing
A Taiwanese media outlet reported that Ukraine’s all-robot unit destroyed a Russian company of soldiers near the city of Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine in December, citing American daily The Wall Street Journal. But the claim is false. The Wall Street Journal did not publish such a report. The Taiwanese media later issued a correction, saying that the news was an “allegation.”The report was published by the Taiwanese media outlet Newtalk News on Jan. 2.
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Jan 16, 2025 | 
rfa.org | Zhuang Jing |Alan Lu
A video has been shared in Chinese-language social media posts that claim it shows scenes of California consumed by wildfires. But the claim is false. According to an AI analysis tool and expert, the video is not footage of the real wildfire but instead AI-generated. The video was shared on X on Jan. 11. “This looks like the end of the world! This is California, the wealthiest state in the U.S.,” the claim reads.
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Jan 8, 2025 | 
rfa.org | Dong Zhe |Alan Lu |Zhuang Jing
TAIPEI, Taiwan – In January 2022, urgent messages lit up the phone of Chang Meng-tsung, a Taiwanese social media commentator known for promoting better relations across the Taiwan Strait. “We’ve got to remove Lim!” insisted a Chinese reporter named Zhuo. He was referring to Freddy Lim, a Taiwanese legislator known for his pro-independence stance whose seat was up for a recall vote after residents in his district petitioned for a snap election. “Go after Lim today,” Zhuo urged.
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Jan 6, 2025 | 
rfa.org | Zhuang Jing |Dong Zhe |Alan Lu
TAEPEI, Taiwan – In the lead-up to Taiwan’s 2024 presidential election, an obscure news outlet called Fingermedia published what seemed like just another opinion poll. The December 2023 poll claimed a stunning reversal: opposition Kuomintang candidates, Hou Yu-ih and Jaw Shaw-kong, had suddenly overtaken the ruling Democratic Progressive Party candidate Lai Ching-te in the presidential race. Some suspected that something wasn’t quite right.
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Dec 31, 2024 | 
rfa.org | Zhuang Jing
A video emerged in Chinese-language social media posts that claim it shows the “final moment” of the South Korean plane that crashed in the city of Muan on Dec. 29. But the claim is false. The video in fact has been shared online as early as September, months before the deadly plane crash. The video was shared on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, on Dec. 31, as well as on Weibo. The Weibo post has been taken down.
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Dec 27, 2024 | 
rfa.org | Zhuang Jing
A video has been shared in Chinese-language social media posts that claim it shows a state funeral for North Korean general Kim Yong Bok who died while supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine. But the claim is false. The video shows a funeral of Ri Ul Sol, a close aide of the North Korean founder, who died in 2015 due to illness. The whereabouts of Kim Yong Bok, who was reportedly dispatched to Ukraine to help Russia’s war efforts, is unknown. The video was shared on X on Dec. 23.
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Dec 23, 2024 | 
rfa.org | Zhuang Jing
A photo of what appears to be a group of patients waiting in a hospital lobby emerged in Chinese-language social media posts that claim it shows “recent” COVID-19 patients at a Chinese hospital “overcrowded” with cases. But the claim is false. The photo was actually published in January 2023. As of December 2024, COVID-19 cases in China remain “at lower epidemic level,” according to Chinese health authorities.
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Dec 13, 2024 | 
rfa.org | Zhuang Jing
A claim emerged in Chinese-language reports that the European Union decided to cancel favorable tariff policies towards Hong Kong. But the claim is misleading. The reports cited an EU resolution that is a non-binding request designed to draw attention to the latest issues in Hong Kong. As of Dec. 13, the bloc had not revoked the city’s favorable customs treatment. The claim was shared in a report published by the Taiwanese media outlet NewTalk News on Dec. 5, 2024.
