At the Cabinet's weekly meeting Thursday, Premier Chen Chien-jen received a Ministry of Justice (MOJ) briefing on foreign election interference and the government's response strategies. The premier said that authoritarian countries intervene in the elections of democratic countries in a multitude of ways, and special attention must be paid to the current situation so that we can together protect Taiwan's culture and environment of freedom, democracy and rule of law, while also maintaining national security.
The premier pointed out that tensions across the Taiwan Strait have grown severe in recent years, and multiple instances of foreign interference have been uncovered during the current election cycle. In addition to funding specific groups and candidates, foreign actors have also used disinformation and the manipulation of election betting odds to sway public discourse on certain political issues and influence voter preferences.
The premier instructed MOJ and other responsible agencies to coordinate their full efforts in investigating persons suspected of meddling in elections on behalf of foreign powers, in addition to prosecuting cases of foreign election interference under the principles of swift investigation and strict penalties. Efforts should also be made to continue tracking down related accomplices, and to crack down on foreign influence operation networks and bases in Taiwan. It is crucial to ensure that the 16th presidential and 11th legislative elections, to be held on January 13, 2024, are free from foreign manipulation.