Taiwan’s Gas Supply Secure Despite Mideast War Disinformation

Taiwan Faces Wave of False Energy Crisis Claims Amid Middle East Tensions

Taiwan is grappling with a surge of online disinformation claiming the self-ruled island is on the brink of a severe energy crisis due to disruptions stemming from the Middle East conflict. Officials warn these false narratives are designed to sow panic and undermine public confidence in the government.

The misleading social media posts, which have garnered thousands of views on Chinese-language platforms, repeatedly assert that Taiwan will exhaust its liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies within 11 days and face widespread electricity blackouts. These claims falsely attribute the supposed crisis to Iran’s restrictions on tankers navigating through the Strait of Hormuz.

AFP fact-checkers identified approximately two dozen posts from China-based accounts on Douyin propagating this narrative, many recycling identical video scripts. Some posts criticized Taiwan’s decision to decommission its nuclear reactor last year, while others promoted Beijing’s “peaceful reunification” proposal as a solution to Taiwan’s purported energy security challenges.

Taiwanese authorities have firmly rejected these allegations. Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin addressed the rumors directly in a Facebook video on March 9, stating: “They claimed that we would run out of gas — that is simply impossible.” He clarified that LNG imports from Qatar represent about one-third of Taiwan’s total supply, meaning “roughly 60 to 70 percent is basically not a problem.”

Security officials report they are actively monitoring fuel-related misinformation spread by both Taiwanese “collaborators” and Chinese media sources. Their investigation has uncovered AI-generated content on platforms like YouTube and TikTok promoting “a consistent narrative” that Taiwan faces a “very dire situation” and raising questions about what would happen “if Taiwan is encircled.”

“It works by creating scenarios to make people in Taiwan… feel concerned about the government, or keep imagining that if a blockade were to happen one day, we would lose confidence in energy,” the security officials explained.

Taiwan isn’t alone in facing such disinformation. Iran’s Tasnim news agency recently published an altered graphic falsely claiming Australia had just 18 days of petrol supplies remaining, when the actual figure was approximately double that amount.

These claims are particularly sensitive in Taiwan, where China’s increasing military activity around the island has heightened concerns about energy security in the event of a potential blockade. LNG is critical to Taiwan’s energy infrastructure, accounting for 47.8 percent of the island’s power generation last year, according to the Energy Administration.

Yeh Tsung-kuang, a professor at National Tsing Hua University, explained that while Taiwan’s maximum LNG inventory capacity is indeed around 11 days, this does not mean the island would immediately face fuel shortages or power outages within that timeframe.

“One-third of our LNG comes from Qatar. We also have other sources such as Russia, Australia and the United States,” Yeh told AFP. “These netizens are interpreting the situation as if LNG from the Middle East cannot get through, Taiwan will be left without a natural gas supply. They are attempting to create this false impression.”

Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs has outlined contingency plans in case Middle Eastern supply disruptions continue, including utilizing non-Middle Eastern gas sources, coordinating with similar buyers like Japan and South Korea, and purchasing “existing fuel.”

Last week, Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office suggested that “peaceful reunification could provide better protection” for Taiwan’s energy security with a “strong motherland” as its backing. Taiwan’s Deputy Economy Minister Ho Chin-tsang dismissed this notion as “impossible” and part of “cognitive warfare.”

Joseph Webster, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center, characterized Beijing’s offer as “a political drive” to undermine Taiwan’s confidence in its energy security. “This disinformation is either explicitly or implicitly a part of that larger campaign,” Webster noted.

Experts acknowledge that Taiwan does face energy security challenges, including relatively low LNG storage capacity compared to other Asian nations. If the Middle East conflict continues and affects global LNG supplies long-term, Taiwan could face stronger competition and higher prices for energy resources.

“This is a significant vulnerability in terms of Taiwan’s energy weakness,” observed Liang Chi-yuan, a professor at National Central University’s Center for Taiwan Economic Development.