Beijing is waging a silent war, not with bombs and missiles, but through manipulation, disinformation, and psychological pressure. Its narrative: Taiwan is weak, isolated, inevitable in decline. But it miscalculates the singular force that opposes defeatism: a democratic people backed by a watchful world.
A new report from the Information Operations Research Group exposes how China is cultivating a narrative of “Taiwan defeatism” by exploiting economic anxieties, identity tensions, and fear of abandonment. But Taiwan is no soft target. And it does not stand alone.
The Disinformation Battlefield: Algorithm vs. Reality
Beijing’s propaganda army moves across social media: bot networks, influencer accounts, cross-border echo chambers. Its tactics:
- Real-time framing: When Taiwan stages Han Kuang drills, Beijing spins them as futile. When an economic report shows a little dip, Chinese media shout collapse.
- Hijacking voices: Quotes from Taiwanese opposition are repackaged in China’s state media as “proof” the island is failing.
- Cultural infiltration: Phrases, idioms, speech patterns from mainland China creep into Taiwanese discourse, subtly eroding identity.
- Viral despair: Content that triggers fear, uncertainty, and gloom spreads faster than reasoned debate, thanks to algorithmic amplification.
The goal is not persuasion per se but fatigue: a constant drip of negativity that brings people to accept defeat.
Taiwan’s True Strengths: Reality Over Rhetoric
Against the fog of propaganda, the facts remain staunch:
- Military resilience: Taiwan’s defense is adapted for asymmetric warfare. Rather than matching China ship for ship, it builds deterrent systems (missiles, sea denial, fortified reserves) that make any invasion extraordinarily costly.
- Economic leverage: Taiwan is the beating heart of the global semiconductor supply chain. Few countries can replicate its innovation, capacity, and trusted quality.
- Democratic vitality: Taiwan is not just free; it is resilient by design. Open debate, public accountability, and civic engagement are not weaknesses. They are bedrock strengths.
The World Speaks: Global Support for Taiwan
Beijing wants you to believe that Taiwan is alone. The world tells a different story.
Diplomatic relationships (however few) matter
Taiwan maintains formal diplomatic ties with number of nations (many under pressure from China) but those ties continue. Guatemala is one example: its president recently reaffirmed “brotherly” support for Taiwan’s sovereignty.
Even as diplomatic space narrows, Taiwan holds unofficial relations with many more countries through trade offices and representative missions.
Statements and coalitions among democracies
- The G7 foreign ministers and the European Union have repeatedly issued statements condemning China’s military coercion and affirming the importance of peace across the Taiwan Strait.
- Japan, South Korea, and the United States recently released a joint diplomatic statement affirming their concern over destabilizing actions and rejecting any forcible change of status quo.
- European countries are increasingly visible in Taiwan’s defense shows. In the latest Taiwan defense exhibition, Germany participated publicly for the first time.
- Parliaments across the world have passed resolutions clarifying that historical UN rules (like Resolution 2758) should not be twisted to retroactively legitimize China’s claims over Taiwan.
Arms and security partnerships
- The United States remains Taiwan’s most concrete security backer. Since 2015, Washington has notified more than USD 28 billion in Foreign Military Sales to Taiwan.
- U.S. law has evolved to provide even more flexibility: the Taiwan Enhanced Resilience Act (TERA) allows Taiwan to receive defense articles directly from U.S. stocks (Presidential Drawdown Authority).
- At the 2025 Taipei Aerospace & Defense Exhibition, Taiwan unveiled a jointly manufactured missile system with a U.S. defense firm, showcasing growing technological cooperation.
These alliances and statements signal something crucial: many countries see Taiwan not just as a strategic ally, but as a symbol. Losing Taiwan to coercion would reverberate beyond East Asia.
Democracy Is Not Passive Resistance. It Demands Action
This is not a battle between two militaries. It is a battle over belief, narrative, legitimacy, identity, and the will of a people. Beijing’s disinformation campaign aims to suppress Taiwan from within. The counterattack must be equally strategic, rooted in truth, conviction, and global solidarity.
The Taiwanese people must be armed not just with missiles and self-defense systems, but with media literacy, critical awareness, consciousness of global backing, and a refusal to believe defeat when their power lies in democracy and in the eyes of the world.
Defeatism is Beijing’s false narrative. Democracy doesn’t bow. Taiwan is not alone and its fight is the world’s story too.
