Eric Hsu, a researcher at the Taiwan Democracy Lab, shared findings on how TikTok (Chinese version is called Douyin) is used in the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) united front strategy toward Taiwan. A 2025 survey conducted by the lab revealed that TikTok appeals to Taiwanese teens with trendy, short, and algorithm-driven content. However, after entertainment videos, the app often pushes two to three videos of political content related to war, cross-strait unity, as well as political corruption and legislative chaos in Taiwan.
Many teens surveyed see the CCP as efficient but authoritarian and believe its governance model may be necessary for managing such a large country. They feel TikTok offers a more “real” view of China and perceive that cross-strait differences are mostly political.
The study suggests TikTok is used to stir negative emotions, undermine trust in Taiwan’s democracy, and promote unification narratives. Some teens believe unification wouldn’t affect ordinary people much. They view war (CCP’s taking over Taiwan by military) as terrifying and are concerned for their loved ones’ safety; some say they might choose surrender.
TikTok also contains harmful content like cyberbullying and child exploitation, which the study says deserves more serious attention in Taiwan.
Source: Epoch Times, July 25, 2025
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/25/7/24/n14559632.htm