TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A new documentary has exposed methods used by China to recruit Taiwanese influencers to promote Chinese Communist Party (CCP) propaganda.
Released Friday, the 40-minute video features Taiwanese YouTuber Pa Chiung (八炯) interviewing former pro-CCP influencer and rapper Chen Po-yuan (陳柏源). Chen described his experiences working in China, including how the United Front Work Department (UFWD) guided his promotion of pro-CCP narratives.
Chen’s journey in China
Chen, 25, studied martial arts at Shaolin Temple in Henan, China. He attended high school in the US but chose to return to China for college at Huaqiao University.
A strong advocate for cross-strait unification during his time in China, Chen’s views shifted after returning to Taiwan this year to fulfill military service. He claimed he was betrayed by a Chinese business partner and labeled a “Taiwan independence” activist.
While serving in the Taiwanese military, Chen said he overheard trainees suggesting they would surrender to China in the event of an invasion. “But they never thought about what would come after,” he said. Chen cautioned that unification could turn Taiwan into “the next Xinjiang.”
Chen said his experiences compelled him to expose the UFWD’s tactics as a way to defend Taiwan’s freedom and democracy.
Inside the UFWD’s playbook
Chen outlined how the UFWD seeks to cultivate relationships with Taiwanese influencers. He said they first emphasize cultural and ethnic commonalities between Taiwan and China, creating a sense of shared identity.
“Then they link the CCP with China itself,” he explained, so as to imply that loving China means loving the CCP.
Chen alleged that CCP members frequently approach influencers under the guise of friendship or collaboration, offering financial incentives and other benefits. "No matter where you go in China,” he said, “there will be Communist Party members. When you are available or famous, these Party members will come to you mysteriously and give you something to do."
He claimed the UFWD would arrange accommodations, meals, and travel itineraries, in addition to providing scripts and templates for content creation. These materials often include praise for pro-China leaders and criticism of Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
Chen referenced one instance where the UFWD asked him to write a song critical of the DPP. The resulting track, Chinese Bosses (中國老總), praised business opportunities in China and was sung in a Taiwanese accent to appeal to audiences in Taiwan.
He added that his instructions included positive portrayals of Kuomintang (KMT) politicians such as Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) and Hou You-yi (侯友宜). Messages also included statements such as, “I would rather live in mainland China than in authoritarian Taiwan.”
The documentary presents transcripts of phone calls between Chen and UFWD officials. Speaking on the phone with the president of the Chinese state media outlet “Strait Herald” (海峽導報), Chen pretended he was looking to work as a pro-China influencer. The executive offered to provide him with "resources" and mentioned cooperation with Taiwanese YouTuber Chung Ming-hsuan (鍾明軒), exposing potential additional influencers who have been contacted by the CCP.
In two days, the video has gained over 2 million views on YouTube. Meanwhile, Chinese internet users have criticized Chen, labeling him as a fraud.
MAC warns against CCP influence
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has been monitoring reports of the CCP collaborating with Taiwanese influencers. “Internet celebrities have become an important part of the CCP’s cognitive operations against Taiwan and must be taken seriously,” the MAC stated.
The MAC also reminded Taiwanese influencers that collaborating with the CCP in this manner is illegal. It cited amendments to the Five National Security Laws and the Anti-Infiltration Act as tools to combat foreign interference.
