Taiwan Says China is Spreading Fake News During COVID Spike

TAIPEI - A Taiwanese official accused China on Saturday of spreading fake news about the COVID-19 situation on the island, saying this was why the government was publicizing and refuting instances of false information that have been circulating online.

After months of keeping the pandemic under control, Taiwan is dealing with a surge in domestic infections, and the whole island is under a heightened state of alert with people asked to stay at home and many venues shut. Taiwan has repeatedly warned that China, which claims the democratically governed island as its own, is trying to use “cognitive warfare” to try and undermine trust in the government and its response to the pandemic. Speaking to reporters, Deputy Minister of the Interior Chen Tsung-yen said they had “clearly felt” the danger represented by Chinese propaganda and misinformation against Taiwan.