TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan Vice President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) did not sign any agreements with the government of Paraguay when he was in the country this week, the Presidential Office said on Thursday (Aug. 17).
Several documents have circulated on Taiwanese social media that purport to show agreements signed between Taiwan and Paraguay at the governmental level and between educational institutions, per CNA. Presidential Office Spokesperson Lin Yu-chan (林聿禪) said they are all fake and warned the public against spreading misinformation.
The vice president never signed any documents during his visit to Paraguay, Lin said, and called the documents an obvious and deliberate attempt to discredit Taiwan’s government. She said the case has been reported to the foreign ministry, as this kind of disinformation directly affects Taiwanese diplomats in foreign countries.
One of the fake documents circulating appears to show a pledge of US$320 million from the government of Taiwan to Paraguay.
One of the fake documents. (Imgur photo)
Media politics expert and assistant professor at National Chengchi University Jaw-nian Huang (黃兆年) told Taiwan News that China had distributed propaganda in Paraguay in the lead-up to Lai’s trip. He said the propaganda aims to undermine Taiwan’s sovereignty and promote the “One China Principle” in Paraguay.
“It also intends to influence public opinion within Taiwan, thereby diminishing the diplomatic achievements and domestic support of the presidential candidate advocating for Taiwan's sovereignty,” Huang said. He said that Taiwan and the international community should be conscious of Chinese propaganda and work to provide alternative sources of information for those in Taiwan and abroad.
Before Lai’s trip, Taiwan’s foreign ministry also issued a statement that said Central and South American news outlets were being used to spread disinformation, including labeling Lai as a “troublemaker.” Huang said this tactic is referred to as “borrowing a boat to take to sea (借船出海),” and it is used by China to repackage hard power efforts into soft power products.
