Experts sound alarm over low awareness of China threat among Taiwan's youth

Taipei, Dec. 21 (CNA) A survey showing that less than 40 percent of young Taiwanese support regulating influencers in Taiwan linked to pro-China unification efforts has sparked concern among experts that the younger generation lacks vigilance in the face of threats from across the Taiwan Strait.

At a seminar in Taipei on Friday, the Asia-Pacific Elite Interchange Association (APEIA) released the results of a survey examining public views on China's United Front tactics targeting Taiwan and other recent cross-strait issues.

The findings showed that 56.3 percent of all respondents agreed that laws should be amended to regulate Taiwanese influencers involved in China's United Front efforts. Meanwhile, 25.7 percent disagreed and 18 percent had no opinion.

Among respondents aged 20 to 24, only 37.9 percent agreed, significantly less than the 49.1-70.6 percent observed across other age groups.

The survey was carried out against the backdrop of China allegedly recruiting Taiwanese influencers to help carry out its United Front work. The revelations were highlighted by YouTuber Pa Chiung (八炯) in a documentary.

In the video, Pa Chiung interviewed Taiwanese rapper Chen Po-yuan (陳伯源), who described how he had worked with government agencies in China to promote his music before realizing he was being used to support a pro-unification agenda.

The United Front is a strategy used by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to influence and co-opt individuals or organizations to advance its political and strategic goals, including pushing for unification with Taiwan.

Arthur Wang (王智盛), secretary-general of the APEIA and an expert on cross-strait relations, described the comparatively low awareness of Chinese United Front efforts among young Taiwanese as a "warning signal."

"This suggests that to some extent... our young people have indeed lost their vigilance," Wang said, attributing the results to the influence of Chinese social media platforms and the prevailing perception that cross-strait exchanges are harmless.

He urged society to address the relatively low vigilance of Taiwanese young people in recognizing China's United Front efforts, particularly among those with prolonged exposure to Chinese social media.

Following the same vein, Raymond Sung (宋承恩), vice president of the Prospect Foundation, said that the issue with influencers lies in the fact that most of their content focuses on topics such as fashion and makeup, which seem harmless and lifestyle-oriented.

"However, on certain political issues, they (influencers) align with the narratives that China wants to promote," Sung said, adding that it might influence how Taiwanese youth perceive China.

The survey, commissioned by the APEIA, was conducted by DADI Opinion Research from Dec. 17 to 18 through telephone interviews with adults aged 20 and above in Taiwan.

According to the APEIA, 1,001 valid samples were collected, with a confidence level of 95 percent and a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.