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China sponsors cut-price trips for hundreds of Taiwanese politicians ahead of key island elections
By Yimou Lee
TAIPEI, Dec 1 (Reuters) – According to Taiwan sources and documents, Beijing has sponsored discounted trips to China for many Taiwanese politicians prior to the upcoming key elections. This hefty undertaking has raised concerns of officials, describing this as a form of intervention in the election process.
The scale and scope of the Chinese activities have not been previously reported, effectively unnerving officials who worry that China is trying to influence voters towards candidates with closer ties to Beijing. Fearing these efforts could sway the upcoming elections, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and officials have emphasized the significant impact these efforts may have on the island’s relations with China.
Chinese officials are framing the Jan. 13 presidential and legislative elections as a choice between “peace and war”, accusing the ruling party of being dangerous separatists and urging Taiwanese to make the “right choice”. This has prompted prosecutors in southern Taiwan to announce an investigation into potential violations of election and security laws, including 22 individuals, mainly grassroots politicians, who may have been influenced or supported by Beijing.
Security agencies in Taiwan are also looking into more than 400 visits to China during the past month, which included discounted travel and accommodations. It’s suspected these trips were subsidized by various units under China’s Taiwan Affairs Office. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, has previously said it respects Taiwan’s “social systems”, but has yet to comment on this issue.
Taiwanese law forbids campaigns from receiving money from “external hostile forces”, which includes China. Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, the top China-policy body, has described Beijing’s efforts as “self-evident” as a means for China to influence the upcoming elections by providing free trips to politicians, among other means.
The investigation has revealed that, despite politicians paying for their airfare, various expenses were offered by Chinese authorities, effectively opening up the possibility of election interference through subsidized group tours. This has become increasingly popular, especially with politicians in areas where support for closer China ties is strong, and efforts to influence citizens have alarmed authorities.
To address this, Taiwanese officials have urged citizens not to accept perks or instructions from Chinese authorities during their travels, especially noting that it is challenging to build criminal cases against the trip-takers due to the lack of a money trail and the difficulty in establishing what was discussed during these trips. This level of scrutiny has also prompted some politicians to plan their visits more discreetly.
With the Jan. 13 elections looming closer, the battle of influence between Taiwan and China seems far from over. (By Yimou Lee; Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by William Mallard)
