The united front in Taiwan is an aspect of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Government of China's larger united front strategy, applied to Taiwan, to achieve unification. It relies on the presence of pro-Beijing sympathizers in Taiwan combined with a carrot-and-stick approach of threatening war with Taiwan while offering opportunities for business and cultural exchanges. According to officials of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, the CCP has long relied on organized crime as part of its united front tactics in Taiwan. Critics who are negative of Chinese unification have linked the term "united front" to Chinese imperialism and expansionism.

History

In 2011, Xi Jinping instructed cadres to "make full use" of Mazu for promotion of Chinese unification. Temples in Taiwan, especially in rural areas, have been the most prominent targets for influence operations as they are meeting grounds for prominent local figures and financial donations to temples remain unregulated. Starting in 2017, the All-China Federation of Taiwan Compatriots took on a more prominent role in the CCP's united front efforts directed at Taiwan. According to Sinologist Gerry Groot, the CCP's abrogation of one country, two systems in Hong Kong following the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests "was noted in Taiwan, where it made the work of the tiny minority of pro-unification activists even harder and reinforced the skepticism of others regarding the value of CCP promises." Others have also perceived its failure to persuade Taiwanese. In 2022, Taiwan's National Security Bureau chief stated that the CCP had provided training to local internet celebrities in "cognitive warfare" campaigns to spread propaganda. In 2023, Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council stated in a report that the CCP's united front efforts in Taiwan through "cognitive warfare" were increasing. During the run-up to the 2024 Taiwanese presidential election, the All-China Federation of Taiwan Compatriots coordinated editorial attacks against Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Lai Ching-te, framing him as "pro-war"; Lai later won the election. In November 2023, Taiwanese prosecutors charged a group of individuals accused of recruiting Taiwanese tourists on trips to mainland China paid for by the Taiwan Affairs Office in which they met with representatives of the United Front Work Department (UFWD) and were urged to vote for pan-Blue candidates. According to Reuters, around 1,000 Taiwanese local officials have visited China on paid junkets in the run-up to the 2024 elections. In December 2023, Liberty Times reported that in 2023 around 30% of the 456 borough chiefs in Taipei had taken trips to mainland China subsidized by the Chinese government.

Organizations

Two bureaus of the Ministry of State Security, the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations and the Institute of Taiwan Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, share intelligence collection and analysis on Taiwan. The UFWD sponsors paid trips and summer camps to mainland China for Taiwanese youth. The trips are reported to promote pro-Chinese unification sentiment.