China’s Information War on Taiwan Ramps Up as Election Nears

Holger Chen cuts a fierce profile with his skull-tattooed biceps, each bigger than a human head, and the oft-broken nose of a fighter. A mixed martial arts fighter, ex-Marine, former gangster, and owner of a chain of fitness clubs in Taiwan named after Genghis Khan, Chen has become an emblem of what he calls “defensive democracy” against disinformation from China. In his YouTube broadcasts, watched by hundreds of thousands of people, he rails against “brainwashing” by websites linked to China and throws rhetorical punches at pro-Beijing television stations and newspapers that support Taiwan’s unification with the mainland.

Chen is tapping public anger in a place that ranks No. 1 out of 202 in perceived foreign dissemination of false information, according to a recent study by the V-Dem Institute at Sweden’s University of Gothenburg. “They’re using our strengths, like free speech, as weak points to attack us,” Chen says over expensive tea served in incongruously delicate cups at his studio on the outskirts of Taipei. With his normal speaking voice on the verge of a shout, it doesn’t take much to get him into fighting mode. “We need to protect our country!” he bellows.