TAIPEI – A Taiwanese radio host and his wife have been accused of receiving NT$74 million (S$3 million) from “foreign sources”, including China, in exchange for trying to influence the island’s elections and referendums.

The man surnamed Chang and the woman surnamed Hung were charged on Nov. 4 with violating Taiwan’s anti-infiltration law, the district prosecutor’s office in the southern city of Chiayi said in a statement.

Prosecutors allege that the couple received the equivalent of NT$74 million between 2011 and 2023 from “foreign infiltration sources,” including the Taiwan Affairs Office, a Chinese body that handles cross-Strait affairs.

The couple, who belong to a minor Taiwanese political party that advocates for the island’s unification with China, face a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of NT$10 million if convicted.

“External forces have long taken advantage of free speech and the inclusive environment of our country’s diverse political environment to promote propaganda, infiltrate, divide… seriously threatening our national security,” prosecutors said.

Chang and Hung allegedly used scripts provided by “external forces” on radio shows and on social media platforms in an attempt to influence public opinion in several elections and referendums dating back to 2021, including this year’s presidential and parliamentary elections. year, prosecutors said.

Among other things, they allegedly “frequently promoted” China’s military power to persuade Taiwanese forces “to surrender or defect in the event of a war,” the statement said.

Taiwanese officials repeatedly expressed concerns about election interference and misinformation ahead of the January election, which brought President Lai Ching-te to power.

China has long considered Taiwan part of its territory and in recent years has increased military and political pressure on Taipei, which rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims over the island.

China deploys its military aircraft and warships around the island almost daily and has held two large-scale military exercises since Lai’s inauguration in May. AFP