Radio Free Asia exposes attacks on Taiwan VP hopeful

TAIPEI (TVBS News) — A report by Radio Free Asia released on Wednesday (Dec. 6) has thrown the spotlight on the Taiwanese vice presidential candidate Hsiao Bi-khim, a member of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), who has been cast as an "American agent" by Chinese misinformation campaigns.

With her mother being of European-American descent and her former dual citizenship, Hsiao's heritage and identity have come under scrutiny in Chinese social media, where she is often described as "appeasing America" and "betraying Taiwan."

Domestic and foreign Chinese social media users have questioned her loyalty and heritage.

On an unnamed international social media platform, a user claiming to be in China, "hanghaiPanda," has cast doubts on Hsiao's ability to speak Mandarin, chastising her for a photo with Vice President Lai Ching-te by suggesting she was an "agent of American war."

Donald Clarke, a professor at George Washington University Law School, has countered by labeling "hanghaiPanda" as a “propagandist for the People’s Republic of China” on the same platform.

Similar tactics surfaced on the Chinese domestic social media platform Weibo, where a self-described Chongqing journalist "Xiao Fan Hao She" selectively edited clips from Hsiao's press conferences to falsely claim she cannot speak Chinese.

Amid an environment of strict state censorship in China, the information regarding Taiwan's 2024 presidential election is filtered, with research institutions noting Taiwan as a prime target for China's disinformation warfare.

Hsiao has responded publicly to the accusations, stating she does not hold dual nationality. She affirmed her Taiwanese citizenship, clarifying that she renounced her American citizenship in 2002 and possesses documentation to prove it.

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