For many years, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has provided substantial financial support to Kuomintang (KMT) through both direct funding — often channeled via intermediaries such as Taiwanese businessmen with investments in China — and indirect means, including the co-optation of traditional Taiwanese media outlets and orchestrated online cognitive warfare operations. As a result, the CCP has effectively gained significant control over much of the Kuomintang, which has increasingly functioned as a proxy for the CCP in Taiwan.
Support for pro-communist or pro-China political factions in Japan remains marginal at approximately 10%, contrasting sharply with Taiwan, where support reaches nearly 30%. Many within these groups primarily identify themselves as Chinese. Furthermore, through substantial investment in cognitive warfare, China has exerted significant influence over Taiwan’s legacy media. Consequently, while the current Taiwan administration maintains a pro-democratic, 'free-world' stance, it retains control only over the executive branch of the Taiwanese government.
@TechnoTroph@lafaiel It’s common practice among Chinese manufacturers. Chinese mobile phone makers have long used the same trick: they install lower-quality components in the final product while sending the best units for testing and certification.