Chinese police have issued a notice offering rewards of up to 10,000 yuan (£1,000) for information on 18 Taiwanese military psychological operations officers accused of spreading separatist propaganda. The Public Security Bureau in Xiamen, a city opposite Taiwan across the strait, released photos, names and ID numbers of the individuals, identified as core members of Taiwan's 'psychological warfare unit'.
The bureau accused the unit of tasks such as disinformation, intelligence gathering, and propaganda broadcasting. It alleged the group launched smear campaigns, created seditious video games, produced fake videos, operated illegal radios, and manipulated public opinion with external forces, all aimed at promoting 'Taiwan independence'.
Taiwan's defence ministry rejected the accusations as 'crude' efforts to undermine the government and conduct cognitive warfare. It described the move as reflecting the 'despotic and pig-headed thinking of an authoritarian regime'. The ministry said China exploits the free flow of information in Taiwan's democratic society to fabricate personal data.
The wanted notice is largely symbolic, as Taiwanese intelligence officers do not openly visit China, and Beijing has no jurisdiction over the island. The announcement came a day after Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te pledged to increase defence spending and build a new air defence system called 'T-Dome' during National Day celebrations.
China's Taiwan Affairs Office condemned Lai's speech, calling him a 'troublemaker' and 'war-maker', and warned his actions would undermine cross-strait stability. This is the second such bounty this year; in June, China offered rewards for 20 Taiwanese military hackers, a threat Taiwan dismissed.
