TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Kuomintang leaders have called on China to stop interfering in the opposition party’s campaign to elect a new chair next week, reports said Saturday.

One of six candidates in the Oct. 18 election, former Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-pin (郝龍斌), complained about rumors attacking his bid through fake accounts in Taiwan and abroad, per CNA. One of his key backers, former vice presidential candidate Jaw Shaw-kong (趙少康), on Saturday called on the Chinese authorities to stop their citizens from interfering.

A significant number of the web accounts attacking Hau are based in China, he told a news conference. The use of AI and the quantity of “fake news” showed the campaign targeting the candidate exceeded the capabilities of the average individual netizen, he said.

Jaw said that if China allowed the practice to continue, it would amount to Chinese interference. In that case, the issue would become a national security incident and be investigated, Jaw said.

In a reaction to the KMT allegations, Democratic Progressive Party lawmakers called on the opposition party to stop blocking national security legislation. It questioned why the KMT had only found out now that China was interfering in Taiwan elections, CNA reported.

Every political party faces attempts by China to exacerbate internal divisions, DPP Legislator Chen Kuan-ting (陳冠廷) said. As a result, political parties should cooperate to defend national interests against external threats, he added.