TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — China is working with survey research companies to manipulate opinion polls for next year’s elections, the chief of Taiwan’s top intelligence agency told lawmakers Wednesday (Oct. 4).

With elections for president and Legislative Yuan scheduled on Jan. 13, 2024, China is trying a number of approaches to influence the result, said Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥), the director general of the National Security Bureau (NSB). He listed Chinese tactics such as the almost daily incursions of military aircraft into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ).

Economic measures such as sudden bans on the import of fruit and other food products from Taiwan were also forms of interference, Tsai said. He also mentioned the distribution of “fake news” about political and social issues.

However, China was now diversifying its tactics, Radio Taiwan International (RTI) reported. It works with companies organizing opinion surveys to see how it could use poll results and their publication to influence next year’s voting, according to Tsai.

The intelligence chief also warned that China might invite groups of local politicians to visit the country ahead of the election. Another possibility is applying pressure on Taiwanese business people working in China to return home for the elections and vote in a way beneficial to Beijing, he said.

Asked by lawmakers about Chinese military movements described as “abnormal” by Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正) last month, Tsai said the content of the drills was similar to previous occasions. However, the difference was that the scale of the exercises was slightly larger than before, he said.