Taipei [Taiwan], July 25 : In yet another attempt to meddle in Taiwan's democratic process, China has been offering discounted flight tickets to Taiwan-based voters ahead of this week's recall elections, the Taipei Times reported, citing officials from the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC).
According to the Taipei Times, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Taipei City Councillor Hong Chien-yi recently obtained evidence that a Chinese "united front" unit in Dongguan, Guangdong Province, had issued notices offering discounted flights to China-based Taiwanese business people and their families to return to Taiwan and vote. The offer was strategically timed just days before the recall vote, MAC Deputy Chairman Liang Wen-chieh confirmed.
Liang told the Taipei Times that this move, likely organised through the Taiwan Business Association in Dongguan, mimics tactics the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has used during presidential elections. "This shows that the CCP is treating Taiwan's recall votes with the same seriousness as a national election," Liang said, adding that it is a direct attempt to manipulate Taiwan's democracy.
The Taipei Times reported that the MAC condemned China's actions and issued a reminder: "Taiwanese are entitled to decide for themselves whom they want to recall, and it should not be interfered with by the CCP." The council emphasised that recall votes are a civil right guaranteed by Taiwan's Constitution, not a tool to be swayed by Beijing's political agendas.
According to the Taipei Times, even Chinese state media and officials have echoed talking points from the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), blurring the lines between foreign propaganda and domestic politics.
The manipulation runs deeper. Internet personality Holger Chen recently claimed on Chinese television that Taiwan would fall "like a cockroach" in two minutes during a war with China. As the Taipei Times noted, Chen's tattoos were blurred out, an unspoken symbol of CCP censorship that Chen obediently accepted.
Liang reminded the public that Taiwan has preserved traditional Chinese culture far better than authoritarian China, where political control now overrides both freedom and heritage. "Taiwanese do not want to be ruled by the CCP," he told the Taipei Times. "We value democracy, dignity, and our distinct identity."
Taiwan's message is clear: its democracy is not for sale, and its sovereignty cannot be hijacked by subsidised flights or foreign propaganda.