Taiwan Denounces China’s False Intelligence Meeting Allegations as Disinformation Campaign

Taiwan’s military has forcefully rejected online claims that its intelligence officials held secret meetings with Dutch counterparts, describing the allegations as part of a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) disinformation campaign designed to undermine Taiwan’s international standing.

The Military Intelligence Bureau (MIB) issued a statement Tuesday refuting claims published on Europe Wanshida Web, a Hungarian website reportedly operated by overseas Chinese groups with ties to the CCP. The bureau characterized the content as “distorted” and “contrary to the facts.”

The disputed post, which appeared Saturday and subsequently spread on Facebook, alleged that six MIB officers traveled to the Netherlands in May for covert discussions with the Dutch Defence Intelligence and Security Service (DISS). It further claimed that Dutch officials later visited Taiwan in November for follow-up meetings.

According to Taiwan’s The Taipei Times, the website published what it claimed were photographs documenting these alleged meetings, along with an image of a flight ticket purportedly belonging to an MIB officer. The post also listed names of Taiwanese and Dutch intelligence personnel allegedly involved in these exchanges.

The MIB denounced all these materials as fabricated and misleading, part of what it described as a coordinated effort to spread false information about Taiwan’s international relationships.

This incident occurs against a backdrop of mounting concerns regarding China’s cognitive warfare tactics. Taiwanese security officials have increasingly warned about Beijing’s sophisticated efforts to manipulate public perception and sow distrust in Taiwan’s government and its international partnerships.

Security analysts note that the disinformation attempt appears strategically designed to exploit the absence of formal diplomatic ties between Taiwan and the Netherlands. By suggesting covert intelligence cooperation without official recognition, the narrative attempts to cast Taiwan’s international engagements as secretive and illegitimate.

The Netherlands, like most countries, adheres to the “One China” policy and does not formally recognize Taiwan as an independent state. However, the two economies maintain robust unofficial ties, particularly in the semiconductor industry. Dutch company ASML, a leading manufacturer of advanced chipmaking equipment, has significant business relationships with Taiwan’s semiconductor sector.

When questioned by reporters, National Security Bureau Director-General Tsai Ming-yen stated he had ordered an internal review within the MIB to determine whether any security protocols had been breached and to assess if this incident forms part of China’s broader propaganda campaign against Taiwan.

While Tsai neither confirmed nor denied the alleged meetings, he emphasized the importance of countering Chinese disinformation operations, which have intensified in recent years.

Taiwan has faced escalating pressure from Beijing, which considers the self-governed island a breakaway province to be eventually reunified with the mainland, by force if necessary. This has included military drills around the island, diplomatic isolation efforts, and increasingly sophisticated information warfare campaigns.

Cybersecurity experts have noted China’s evolving approach to disinformation, which now frequently involves creating fabricated evidence to support false narratives. This incident appears consistent with that pattern, combining plausible scenarios with manufactured “proof” designed to appear credible on first examination.

Taiwanese authorities have stepped up efforts to counter such disinformation campaigns through public education initiatives and rapid response mechanisms that aim to debunk false claims before they gain traction in domestic and international media.