China has escalated its interference in Taiwan’s upcoming presidential election, with a top Chinese leader urging officials to enhance effectiveness and discretion, CNN reported, citing a senior Taiwanese security official. Wang Huning, the fourth-ranking leader in China’s Communist Party and head of Taiwan affairs, reportedly convened a high-level meeting last week to coordinate efforts to influence the January 13 election. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, cited information from the Taiwanese intelligence community, saying that Wang emphasised the need to step up influence on Taiwan’s public opinion while minimising detectable interference. Wang, a longtime advisor to Chinese leader Xi Jinping, was put in charge of Taiwan affairs earlier this year after he was appointed as the deputy head of the Central Leading Group for Taiwan Affairs, a decision-making body chaired by Xi, according to CNN. The Taiwanese official, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, also said that Wang told officials in the meeting that China’s Communist Party must step up its effectiveness in influencing Taiwan’s public opinion while reducing the likelihood that external parties could find evidence of such interference. The allegations surface amid heightened tensions across the Taiwan Strait, with China increasing military, political, and economic pressure on Taiwan. The current polls show Vice President Lai Ching-te, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate, in the lead. Beijing, which opposes the DPP, has long been accused of meddling in Taiwan’s elections to support candidates favouring closer ties with China. The Taiwanese official claimed that the meeting was convened after Chinese leader Xi Jinping visited San Francisco last month, during which US President Joe Biden cautioned against interference in Taiwan’s elections. Wang reportedly stressed the importance of strategizing to avoid external parties easily finding eviden
