China interference allegations in KMT chair race prompt probe calls

Taipei, Oct. 13 (CNA) A key supporter of Kuomintang (KMT) chairman candidate Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) again alleged Monday that China has been meddling in the party's chairmanship election set for Saturday and targeting Hau.

Hau himself did not directly point the finger at China on Monday, reiterating only that he has been the target of widespread online disinformation from newly created fake accounts spreading smears and short videos intended to damage his campaign.

Oct. 11: KMT heavyweight urges Beijing to stay out of party chair race

"Who is so afraid of my winning? This must be investigated. It's not just about me -- it's about the KMT's integrity," he said, urging those responsible to stop.

But former KMT vice presidential candidate Jaw Shau-kong (趙少康), a supporter of Hau, did accuse China of being behind the videos, presenting data at a press conference Monday that he said indicated coordinated online activity favoring one candidate and attacking others.

Jaw said that between Sept. 12 and Oct. 12, most of about 900 TikTok videos praised former Legislator Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文), while 400 clips and 250 clips criticized Jaw and Hau, respectively, he said, without noting if there were any in favor of Hau and opposed to Cheng.

On YouTube, eight channels posted 151 related videos, garnering a combined 1.82 million views, he said.

Jaw said the figures were concrete evidence that his claims were not baseless. Given the scale of the attacks, he said, it was not something one or two people or a few companies could manage, leading him to suspect China.

"I've run for office before. Even a dedicated team would find it difficult to produce one or two videos a day," he said. "How could this possibly be spontaneous? It takes substantial funding to pull off something like this. If China doesn't stop it, that's tantamount to condoning it."

Jaw said national security authorities needed to investigate the issue thoroughly. "With their capabilities, I'm confident they can uncover the truth, even if the IP addresses are overseas -- especially if they're in mainland China," he said.

Jaw had previously said Saturday that the KMT chair election was an internal matter but has been met with "an overwhelming wave of Chinese intervention" targeting Hau.

In an interview Sunday, Lee De-wei (李德維), a representative of Cheng's camp, said accusations must be based on evidence and could not just blindly follow others.

Other candidates sought to ease tensions within the party.

In a policy presentation held in Kaohsiung on Monday, KMT Legislator Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強) called for a "gentleman's contest," and he pledged not to engage in cyberattacks or smear tactics.

Cheng said she had not experienced any interference and described the controversy as part of the "AI era."

Former National Taiwan University professor Chang Ya-chung (張亞中), often described as pro-China, dismissed claims of Beijing's involvement but acknowledged that some candidates were collaborating with Chinese AI teams to attack their rivals.

Ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus whip Chung Chia-pin (鍾佳濱) said the situation showed that Chinese interference was a "collective threat" facing all of Taiwan's democratic parties. He urged bipartisan cooperation to strengthen national security legislation.

DPP lawmakers also criticized opposition parties for previously blocking related bills and called on the KMT to now back their passage.

KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) earlier called on all candidates to focus on party unity and ensure a fair and transparent election, saying that the KMT remains firmly committed to national security and supports all measures that safeguard the Republic of China (Taiwan).