Police have offered rewards of US$1,400 (RM5,910) for information about 18 people they said were Taiwanese military psychological operations officers spreading “separatist” messages, a day after Taiwan pledged to boost its defences.
The public security bureau in the Chinese city of Xiamen, which sits opposite Taiwan on the other side of the Taiwan Strait, said the 18 were core members of Taiwan’s “psychological warfare unit” and published their pictures, names and Taiwan identity card numbers.
The unit handles tasks such as disinformation, intelligence gathering, psychological warfare and the broadcast of propaganda, the security bureau said.
“For a long time, they plotted to incite separatist activities,” the bureau said, adding there would be rewards for tips leading to their arrest.
They launched websites for smear campaigns, created seditious games to incite secession, produced fake video content to mislead people, operated illegal radios for “infiltration” and manipulated public opinion with resources from “external forces”, the state Xinhua news agency said in a separate report.
Taiwan’s defence ministry said the accusations reflected the “despotic and pig-headed thinking of an authoritarian regime ... trying to divide our people, belittle our government and conduct cognitive warfare”.
China has repeatedly issued such reports that “exploit the free flow of information in our democratic society to piece together and fabricate personal data.
“Defending national security and protecting the safety and well-being of the people is the unshirkable duty of every military officer and soldier,” it said.
The wanted notice is largely symbolic given that Taiwanese intelligence officers do not openly visit the country and China’s legal system has no jurisdiction on the island. — Reuters
