Then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaks while Taiwan’s then-President Tsai Ing-wen sits beside her at the Legislative Yuan, Taipei, Aug. 3, 2022.Credit: Office of the President, ROC (Taiwan)
THE DIPLOMAT | Published January 5, 2025
The narrative is part of a larger disinformation campaign designed to undermine Taiwan-U.S. relations.
A recent NBC report revealed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducted classified briefings for U.S. Congress members, warning them of a potential disinformation campaign by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The alleged scheme involved fabricating claims that Congress members receive bribes from Taiwan in exchange for their pro-Taiwan stances.
While this tactic, according to the report, has not yet been put to use, considering the “defensive” nature of the briefings, similar narratives have long permeated Chinese-language propaganda. Chinese state media Xinhua accuses Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of squandering public funds to influence U.S. policymakers. CPPCC Daily, another major Chinese outlet, further alleges Taiwan engages in “propaganda bribery,” targeting foreign legislators, think tanks, officials, and media.
A Historical Context of Taiwan’s Lobbying Efforts
Taiwan’s practice of hiring public relations firms to strengthen its ties with Washington is neither new nor unusual. In the 1970s and 1980s, the Kuomintang (KMT) government employed public relations figures like Sidney Baron and later enlisted lobbyists such as Peter Hannaford to advocate for restoring Taiwan-U.S. diplomatic relations. During President Lee Teng-hui’s administration, Cassidy & Associates were hired to support Lee’s U.S. visit in 1995. The DPP continued this approach after coming to power in 2000, working with firms like BGR Group to enhance Taiwan’s visibility in U.S. policy circles.
These activities, regulated under the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), are standard diplomatic practices and are common for nations – including China, which spends significantly on foreign lobbying. For Taiwan, these efforts are crucial given its challenging international environment and reliance on U.S. support. However, Chinese propaganda portrays Taiwan’s lobbying as wasteful and self-serving, alleging it benefits American politicians and the DPP rather than Taiwanese people. Such claims resurface whenever Taiwan achieves breakthroughs in its U.S. relationship under the DPP government, with China’s state media dismissing progress in the bilateral relations as transactional and opportunistic rather than “value-based” or “rock solid.”
Propaganda Framing: Taiwan Pays for U.S. Support
Chinese Communist Party narratives often suggest that U.S. support for Taiwan stems from financial incentives rather than shared democratic values. Chinese media outlets like CCTV claimed Taiwan’s representative office in Washington employs firms like Empire Consulting Group to sway legislators on issues such as Taiwan’s inclusion in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF). Similarly, members of the Taiwan Caucus in the U.S. Congress are accused of receiving lobbying-driven donations to advocate for Taiwan.
Visits by U.S. lawmakers to Taiwan are another target of these narratives. Chinese media alleged that members of the Taiwan Caucus urged U.S. President Joe Biden to stop in Taiwan during his May 2022 Asia tour due to financial incentives from Taiwan. Following then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s landmark visit in August 2022, the overseas edition of People’s Daily, the CCP’s official newspaper, suggested Senator Ed Markey’s delegation was similarly motivated by financial support from the DPP.
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SOURCE: www.thediplomat.com
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