Taiwan's media is ranked as the most exposed to Chinese influence among 82 countries surveyed in a "China Index" report published Thursday by Taiwanese nongovernmental organization Doublethink Lab.
The 2022 index, which gauges the evolving influence of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in different countries, was published at the "China in the World (CITW)" summit in Berlin, held in collaboration with German Marshall Fund, a nonpartisan American public policy think tank based in Washington.
The index comprises nine domains to measure China's influence --academia, domestic politics, economy, foreign policy, law enforcement, military, society, technology and media.
According to Doublethink, each domain contains 11 indicators corresponding to an observable phenomenon of PRC influence, and presents comparable data collected by regional partners through collaboration with local experts.
In the media domain, the survey said there were "more than a few and significant examples" of Chinese influence of Taiwan media for several indicators.
Among them: journalists or online influencers attending all-expense paid media tours in the PRC, PRC state-media being broadcast or distributed in a local language, and regular PRC government or state-media ads found in local newspapers, online news websites or social media.
They also included pressure exerted on journalists by the PRC, incidents of media outlets censoring views critical of the PRC government and media personalities who deny the existence of human rights abuses in the PRC, according to the survey.
The next highest ranked countries subject to Chinese media influence were Canada, Peru, Australia, Germany and the United Kingdom.
Taiwan also scored the highest in the "society domain," which measures the "extent and effectiveness" of the PRC's soft power, "including its influence over the actions and view of local organizations and citizens."
Among the society indicators in which China was said to have significant influence in Taiwan was celebrities or national or local governments "regularly [publishing or sharing] propaganda narratives from the PRC and "PRC-connected individuals or entities" donating money or supporting religious communities and charities.
Overall, Taiwan ranked 11th in exposure to PRC influence, with Pakistan, Cambodia and Singapore the top three and Paraguay, North Macedonia and Albania the bottom three.
China is certainly entitled to expand its influence in the world, but its intentions may be malicious, inconsistent with international norms, or aimed at assisting authoritarian regimes, Wu Min-hsuan (???), co-founder and CEO of Doublethink, told CNA at the Berlin summit.
According to Doublethink, the China Index was initiated to serve as a reference tool that enhances global understanding and awareness of PRC influence, particularly for academics, media, civil society networks, and policymakers.
The organization's chairperson is Puma Shen (???), who also currently serves as vice president of the Taiwan Association for Human Rights.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel