Which Is More Toxic-A Virus or Hostility? Discourse and Sentiment Analysis of the Chinese Government and Media’s Statements on Taiwan during the COVID-19 Period

Given the geopolitical tensions between China, the United States, and Taiwan, Taiwan’s pandemic governance has needed to consider both domestic factors and international politics, particularly China’s influence. Since Xi Jinping assumed power, he has promoted the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, which includes the unification of Taiwan. Xi perceives self-governed Taiwan as a challenge to his claim of the superiority of the Chinese model. This study analyzes reports on Taiwan from six Chinese government and media outlets from January 1, 2020, to May 31, 2022. The findings indicate that over half of these reports were from nationalist propaganda media that portrayed Taiwan in an exaggeratedly negative light, inciting Chinese hostility toward Taiwan. Second, these outlets cited pro-CCP and anti-DPP media and individuals in Taiwan, thus forming a fake news manufacturing mechanism that constitutes cognitive warfare. Third, the CCP has exerted pressure on Taiwan in the international community, and has combined this with cognitive warfare to cause social unrest and increase pandemic governance difficulties for the Taiwanese government. Nevertheless, Taiwan’s government has also acquired the knowledge to confront these challenges by establishing new institutions and enhancing societal awareness.