KMT heavyweight urges Beijing to stay out of party chair race

Taipei, Oct. 11 (CNA) Kuomintang (KMT) heavyweight and media personality Jaw Shau-kong (趙少康) on Saturday called on Beijing to stop any interference in the party's upcoming chair election, warning that online disinformation campaigns allegedly linked to China could undermine Taiwan's national security.

The KMT chair election is an internal matter but has been met with "an overwhelming wave of Chinese intervention" targeting chair candidate Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌), Jaw said in a press conference.

Jaw urged the Chinese authorities to put an end to such actions, adding that "if Beijing tolerates them, that itself constitutes interference." He also called on Taiwan's national security agencies to investigate the source of the online attacks.

The remarks came after Hau on Oct. 9 accused both "foreign forces" and "fellow party members" of spreading false online content to smear him during the campaign.

In a lengthy Facebook post, Hau said he has become the target of a coordinated disinformation effort involving fake accounts and AI-generated material.

Hau described the attacks as "stronger than any organized campaign seen from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) online teams," adding that many fake accounts appeared to originate from overseas. He said professional firms had been hired to trace the sources and estimated the operation has cost nearly NT$100 million (US$3.28 million).

Among the examples he cited were false claims of backroom deals with KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) and fake polls purporting to come from party headquarters. Hau also said a deep fake video showing him kissing Taipei City Councilor Liu Tsai-wei (柳采葳) had been circulated online.

Hau, a former Taipei mayor, said the experience was a "shock" after three decades in politics and stressed that his campaign seeks to defend both the Republic of China's sovereignty and the KMT's autonomy. "This is not just a party chair election," he wrote. "It is a fight to keep the KMT independent from outside control."

Major chair candidates include KMT Legislator Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強), former KMT Legislator Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) and former National Taiwan University political science professor Chang Ya-chung (張亞中).

Two other fringe candidates are Cho Po-yuan (卓伯源), a former lawmaker, and Tsai Chih-hung (蔡志弘), who served in the now-disbanded National Assembly in 1996.

● 6 candidates to run in KMT chairperson election

The KMT has scheduled a party-wide vote to elect a new chairperson on Oct. 18, with the winner taking office on Nov. 1 for a four-year term, succeeding Chu.

During a televised debate on Saturday, Hau again raised concerns about the use of AI-generated multimedia to fabricate disinformation against him, which has been widely distributed to create a false impression of public opinion.

He denounced the operation as a deliberate attempt to influence the party election by deceiving party members.

Lo responded that he strongly condemns any false information aimed at smearing, discrediting, or politically attacking others. Regarding claims made by Jaw during a press conference held in the morning, he said that if true, the relevant authorities should investigate, identify and punish those responsible.

Lo added that he has previously taken legal action against brazen attempts to smear or discredit him and will not tolerate such behavior.

However, citing former U.S. President Bill Clinton, Cheng argued that regulating online speech is "like nailing jello to the wall."

She added that when a draft of the Digital Intermediary Service Act was introduced during former President Tsai Ing-wen's administration, opposition parties strongly opposed it, saying the law was a guise to curb online speech in the name of national security.

During the debate, Chang criticized the use of tactics similar to the DPP's online operations -- spreading false information and targeting individuals -- now being employed during internal KMT elections.

In response, DPP spokesperson Justin Wu (吳崢) said recent claims by KMT chair candidates about Chinese interference through AI-generated videos and online attacks only confirmed what Taiwan has long faced.

"Beijing's track record of meddling in Taiwan's elections is well-documented -- it's hardly news," Wu said, calling on the KMT to work with the government to counter Chinese infiltration and protect Taiwan's democracy and freedom.

A national security official said authorities are aware of the situation and are strengthening relevant legal mechanisms. The official expressed hope that all political parties will support efforts to block malicious foreign interference and keep such threats outside Taiwan's borders.