The drawing of a “heart” on a map of the island, broadcast on Monday during Chinese military exercises this week, provoked a reaction from the Taiwanese population who described this image as « scary ».
China released a disconcerting propaganda image on Monday October 14 during its latest military exercises around Taiwan launched at the start of the week. The Chinese illustration shows the island surrounded by heart-shaped arrows where it is written in Chinese: “hello my heart”, “the patrol has the shape of our love for you », indicates the British daily The Guardian. The Chinese Coast Guard also claimed their ships were heart-shaped “because they couldn’t stop loving Taiwan even when they were in service”reports the newspaper Taïpei Times . Taiwan’s coast guard called the image psychological propaganda, part of China’s regular harassment.
Sina Weibo/China Coast Guard account
Since Monday, Chinese naval forces have surrounded the island for military exercises with numerous incursions into Taiwanese airspace and the broadcast of propaganda messages. During the operation, China deployed 14 warships and 100 fighter jets.
In parallel with the demonstration of force represented by this military operation, this image refers to the intense propaganda policy that Beijing is imposing on Taiwan, which it wishes to “reunify” with the continent within the framework of the principle of “one China”. Unsurprisingly, the message carried by the Chinese coast guard did not have the desired effect among the Taiwanese population who described it on social networks as “ scary “, ridiculous and violent. A Taiwanese daily even denounces Chinese “sexual harassment”. This heart drawn on the map would be a reference to the Taiwanese television series “Hi My Sweetheart”broadcast 15 years ago, indicates the Guardianwhich recalls that the star of the Taiwanese series Rainie Yang had declared that she was Chinese and had relayed pro-Chinese messages online.
China regularly spreads false information about Taiwan. During the Taiwanese presidential election in January 2024, China created a deepfake, a fake video, of Lai Ching-te, the current president, who very virulently insulted his political opponents.
