(C) Freedom House
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As Media Zooms in on Chinese Military Drills, Taiwan’s Protest Movement is Overlooked [1]
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Date: 2024-08
Since the May 20 inauguration of Lai Ching-te, Taiwan’s eighth president and third from the Democratic Progressive Party, a flurry of news articles have highlighted the Chinese government’s aggressive reaction: military drills in the Taiwan Strait. Outlets like CNN and the New York Times showcased photos of warships and soldiers alongside bellicose quotes from Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi decrying that “all Taiwan independence separatists will be nailed to the pillar of shame in history.”
While Chinese military aggression remains a serious concern, the heavy focus on military drills contributes to a false impression of what was most important at that moment for Taiwanese citizens. Despite the specter of violence and existential threat the drills illustrate, many Taiwanese residents and media outlets are more focused on a hastily passed bill that threatens fundamental freedoms in Taiwan and risks granting the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) new tools to influence its policies.
Privacy rights under attack
On May 24, the same day Chinese military drills started, approximately 100,000 protesters gathered around the Legislative Yuan in Taipei to denounce a rushed and minimally deliberated bill that would boost the legislature’s power to punish citizens who refuse to turn over private information. Proposed under the guise of improving oversight, the bill allows parliament to demand information from any person or entity in Taiwan under the threat of fines upwards of $10,000, which can be applied repeatedly.
On May 28, the reform package passed even though 70,000 demonstrators continued to voice their outrage; the protests have been coined the “Bluebird Movement,” a wordplay reference to Qingdao East Road where the first events occurred. These numbers made the demonstrations one of the largest Taiwan has seen since the 2014 Sunflower Movement, when protesters successfully postponed the passage of a trade bill that many feared would give Beijing greater political leverage in Taiwan.
On top of the public’s concern about restrictions on privacy rights and the lack of deliberation in parliament, many protesters echoed fears from the Sunflower Movement that CCP-friendly politicians could exploit the new measure to silence criticism of Chinese authorities and undermine Taiwan’s sovereignty. Not only could parliament use this legislation to target civil society organizations and government critics without due process, activists have said, but there would be an increased risk that any data hacks or leaks of information collected could be exploited by the CCP to further undermine Taiwanese democracy. While the CCP’s most visibly aggressive actions toward Taiwan are newsworthy and important, these more subtle and insidious threats loom over Taiwan’s vibrant and engaged multiparty democracy.
Democratic resilience amid constant pressure
Chinese authorities have been attempting to isolate Taiwan diplomatically for the last 50-plus years, since the UN General Assembly voted to remove Taiwan from the UN Security Council in 1971 and granted the seat to China. Despite these efforts, Taiwan has become a model for democratic participation and the protection of human rights principles in a region not well-known for either. Freedom House’s annual Freedom in the World report rates the country as Free, with a score of 94 on a 100-point scale. Furthermore, Taiwan is one of only three countries in Asia that have fully legalized same-sex marriage, and has constitutionally banned discriminatory laws targeting LGBT+ people.
Taiwan also consistently defies numerous forms of CCP coercion aimed at influencing elections and sowing discord in its democracy, including cyberattacks, disinformation, and tariffs. In a region where many countries are facing democratic backsliding and increased restrictions on civil society, Taiwan offers a valuable example of strength and resilience in the face of a powerful adversary dedicated to undermining its self-determination and democratic institutions. Bolstering Taiwan’s domestic civic space protects against CCP influence, making the new measures threatening privacy and other rights a significant concern.
Another key detail global media outlets miss in their coverage of cross-strait relations is that Taiwan is no stranger to China’s near-constant military threats. Taiwan has had three “Strait Crises” since 1949, none of which led to outright conflict or shifts in de facto territorial control. Within the Taiwanese media sphere, these military actions are noted but do not overshadow important human rights and democracy developments on either side of the strait. For instance, a recent development that is likely more concerning to Taiwanese citizens than the military buildup is the CCP’s updates of the 2005 Anti-Secession Law, which would impose a maximum potential death penalty for anyone charged with “supporting Taiwan independence activities” regardless of their nationality.
If the goal of global media outlets is to shine light on the ways Chinese authorities exercise power and influence in the Indo-Pacific region, their life-sized game of Battleship is only a fraction of that story. Today, the scope and scale of CCP efforts to erode Taiwan’s institutions deserve more attention. If global media outlets dive deeper, Taiwan’s remarkable story of democratic resilience in the face of constant pressure can be shared with a wider audience and contribute to a better understanding of the CCP’s larger strategy in the region.
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[1] Url:
https://freedomhouse.org/article/media-zooms-chinese-military-drills-taiwans-protest-movement-overlooked
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