China Alleges ‘Political Radicalization’ of Taiwanese Youth by Government

After failed attempts to tarnish President Tsai’s image through the fake ‘global espionage network’ series, Chinese media now airs baseless accusations of two academicians from Beijing claiming that the DPP-run administration is converting Taiwanese youth into ‘political pawns’ for ‘Taiwan’s independence’

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New Delhi: Soon after running a program series-leveling baseless accusation of an international espionage network, China seems to have now started a new agenda to target the Taiwanese under President Tsai Ing-wen. Beijing, which started its malicious campaign by showing some arrested individuals as Taiwanese spies on its state-run CCTV-4 channel, has now raked another spurious issue to tarnish the image of President Tsai.

The CCTV-4 on October 26 ran a 30-minute program alleging the ‘political radicalization’ of Taiwanese youth by the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

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The program, carried out in Mandarin-language, titled ‘Converting Taiwanese Youth Into Political Pawns,’ featured opinions of Professor You Zixiang of the Shih Hsin University, and Professor Yu Qiang of the University of International Relations. The two academicians alleged that the DPP administration has been converting Taiwanese youth into ‘political pawns’ for ‘Taiwan’s independence.’

The duo claimed that the DPP-run administration is focusing on separating the mainland and Taiwan in the minds of Taiwanese youth through education, societal peer pressure, and other means. Qiang asserted that the DPP administration has been planting ‘seeds of hatred’ in the minds of Taiwanese youth. While Yu also highlighted some ‘misconceptions’ in Taiwan concerning the mainland’s development and economic potential.

In his statement, during the program, Qiang said that the mainland should encourage Taiwan youth to visit the mainland. He suggested that Beijing should ask Taipei’s youth what the “costs of seeing the mainland as an enemy” are, while strongly encouraging the young generation to tell their friends what knowledge they have acquired about the mainland.

The program host Sang concluded the program by demanding that ‘the Taiwanese youth should wake up as soon as possible from their sleep. Only then will they truly understand and recognize the historic status quo of both sides belonging to one-China.’ He pressed that ‘such initiatives will serve more benefits and aid the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations. This will also ensure that the youth will no longer become the ‘political fodder’ of the DPP. The mainland provides the best development opportunity in the lives of the youth.’