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Key Concepts

• Mazu: A popular sea goddess worshipped in both Taiwan and China, representing shared cultural and spiritual ties.
• United Front Work Department (UFWD): A Chinese Communist Party (CCP) department focused on influencing non-party groups, including religious organizations, to advance CCP goals.
• Infiltration: The CCP’s strategy of subtly influencing Taiwanese society through various means, including religious networks.
• Civil Defense: Taiwan’s efforts to prepare its population for potential conflict, including disinformation countermeasures and physical defense preparations.
• Sovereignty Claim: China’s assertion of control over Taiwan, a key driver of its political and military pressure.

China’s Use of Religion to Influence Taiwan

The report details China’s multifaceted approach to asserting its claims over Taiwan, highlighting a growing strategy of leveraging religious ties for political influence alongside traditional methods of military pressure and economic coercion. This strategy centers around exploiting the shared cultural and religious heritage between Taiwan and mainland China, particularly the widespread worship of Mazu, the sea goddess.

Spiritual Ties as a Political Contest

The core argument presented is that China is actively attempting to utilize existing spiritual connections – specifically through temples and religious figures like Jungling Quinn – to foster a sense of unity and acceptance of Beijing’s sovereignty claims within Taiwanese society. Jungling Quinn, a prominent Mazu worshipper with connections to Taiwan’s opposition party and regular contact with CCP officials, embodies this dynamic. He believes Mazu’s blessing can facilitate peace and views the people across the Taiwan Strait as “brothers” separated by conflict. This perspective, while representing one side of the Taiwanese debate, is viewed by some as potentially opening doors for Chinese infiltration.

Temples as Social Networks & CCP Interest

Taiwanese temples are not merely places of worship; they function as vital social hubs, connecting communities and serving as focal points for social and political activity. This makes them particularly attractive to the CCP, which recognizes their potential for influencing public opinion. The report emphasizes that the CCP views these networks as avenues for disseminating its narrative and subtly shaping Taiwanese perceptions.

Taiwan’s Countermeasures & Growing Awareness

Taiwan is actively responding to these perceived infiltration attempts. Efforts include promoting civil defense initiatives, such as incorporating air raid shelters into temples (as seen in the southern Taiwan temple visited by DW) and conducting conversations with religious leaders to counter disinformation. A key quote illustrating this concern comes from a Taiwanese citizen: “So what we need to do is… having these conversations with the religious leaders and also having these events located into the most grassroots base of the society is actually also a way to push back this type of infiltration.” However, the growing political attention on temples is causing discomfort among worshippers, who express concern about the politicization of faith. One individual stated, “How could anyone use religion as a tool?… Religion should be used to maintain peace, not for political attacks.”

Beijing’s Broader Strategy: A “Toolbox” of Pressure

Rick Loward clarifies that religious influence is just one component of China’s broader strategy. He describes a “toolbox” of tactics including:

• Intimidation: Economic pressure (import bans, sanctions), diplomatic isolation, and military drills.
• Infiltration: Espionage targeting the military and security agencies, and grassroots-level influence campaigns.

The United Front Work Department (UFWD) is specifically highlighted as a key player in this infiltration effort, tasked with shaping conversations and promoting Beijing’s narrative. The UFWD’s goals range from reinforcing the idea that Taiwan is part of China to sowing discord and undermining support for Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which favors closer ties with the US and resists unification with Beijing.

Statistical Context & Temple Significance

The report provides a striking statistic illustrating the prevalence of temples in Taiwanese life: “there are more temples than there are convenience stores.” This underscores the deep cultural and social significance of these institutions, making them particularly valuable targets for influence operations. Temples also serve as disaster relief centers, distributing resources during earthquakes and typhoons.

Historical & Cultural Context: Mazu’s Role

Mazu’s historical significance is emphasized as a goddess worshipped by generations who traversed the waters between China and Taiwan, facilitating trade and cultural exchange. However, the strait that once connected them now represents a growing divide, placing Mazu at the center of a political contest. Her role symbolizes the complex relationship between the two sides.

Synthesis & Main Takeaways

China is strategically employing religious ties, particularly through the worship of Mazu and engagement with temple networks, as part of its broader effort to influence Taiwan and advance its sovereignty claims. Taiwan is responding by strengthening civil defense measures, engaging with religious leaders, and raising awareness about infiltration tactics. The politicization of religion is causing concern among Taiwanese citizens, who emphasize the importance of faith as a force for peace rather than political manipulation. This situation highlights the complex interplay between culture, religion, and politics in the ongoing tensions between China and Taiwan, demonstrating that the contest for Taiwan extends beyond military and economic spheres and into the realm of shared beliefs and social networks.