The China-Taiwan tension started ever since the nationalist party’s leader Chiang Kai-shek, leader of Kuomintang (KMT) fled to Formosa Island (former name of Taiwan), after losing to Mao Zedong-led communist party. China considers Taiwan as its part but Taiwan claims itself to be the real China and above all, an independent nation. Now, Nancy Pelosi’s recent visit to Taiwan gave this tension another boom. China sent 21 fighter jets inside the air defense identification zone of the Republic of China, Taiwan. Nancy Pelosi is the speaker of the United States House of Representatives since 2019 and she is the highest rank American official to visit Taiwan in 25 years.
China has strongly criticized the visit. Meanwhile, a lot of fierce statements have been released by various Chinese officials. Moreover, a lot of hate about Taiwan can be seen on Chinese social media. In this DFRAC exclusive, we will analyze many deceptive and hateful news spread over social media related to this issue.
Hate on Chinese social media for Taiwan.
Attributing to Chinese affiliate media global times, a lot of fierce statements by China can be seen. In one of its tweets, it was stated, “The one-China principle is the political foundation of China-US relationship. When the foundation is broken, the earth will tremble and the mountains will sway.”
Similarly, another tweet is, “PLA drills around Taiwan island continued Monday, marking an extension from the previously announced schedule. Drills like these will not stop and are expected to become routine until reunification, experts said.“
Disrespectful post on Taiwanese leaders
There were many derogatory and offensive tweets about Taiwanese women including Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, were done by Chinese social media handles. There are many such posts in which open threats of rape and making them sex slaves were given. Some of them can be seen below.
(Picuture credits: The Great Translation Movement)
Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan and the Pool of Fake News
There are lot of the untrue and misleading news were spread on the social media following the recent visit of Pelosi. Below are some such widely spread news.
When a fake Picture of Nancy Pelosi went viral
Sharing the picture, a Chinese account wrote, “When they were young: Nancy Pelosi and Hu Xijin.” This picture got viral with a totally fake claim that she was having love affairs with a Chinese journalist and the former editor-in-chief of the Global Times.
In reality, it is an edited picture where two separate pictures have merged together and shared with fake claim. Pelosi was born on 26th March, 1940 whereas Xijin was born in the year 1960. There is a twenty-year gap between them, but in the picture, they both are looking of the same age.
China threatening to shoot down U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s plane if she visits Taiwan.
This is another piece of deceptive news that was circulated on social media. But in reality, the statement was given by Hu Xijin which he later deleted. China did warn Pelosi about her Taiwan visit but any Chinese official has not released any such statement.
Old video shared as China’s military drill in Fujian
In reality the video is of the Army’s 2020 Matsu exercise. The same video can be seen on the Taiwan based Youtube channel of CH51.
US Navy Ships near Taiwan during the visit of Nancy Pelosi.
Former journalist of ABP news, Chaudhary Parvez, shared a video with the caption, “US Navy Ships near Taiwan.”
This is an old video. DFRAC desk founded the video on the YouTube channel named Tinuod TV in 2021.
Conclusion
That is to say, recent visit of speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan have created a storm of hate against Taiwan and U.S on Chinese social media accounts. In this DFRAC Exclusive, it can be seen how China have threatened Taiwan in many fronts. China have sent fighter jets inside the Air defense identification zone of Taiwan. Moreover, there is a plethora of fake and deceptive news spread all over the internet related to same issue. Chinese Social media is filled with hateful and disrespectful tweets about women of Taiwan. Chinese officials have aggressively criticized Pelosi’s visit. From the actions of China, it seems that, it is using a technique of frightening its enemy to maintain its hegemony.
