India, April 19 -- When Taiwan heads to the polls this November, the contest will not be confined to Taipei's streets or the island's airwaves. China is already manoeuvring to tilt the playing field-most visibly by channelling covert support towards the Kuomintang (KMT). This interference is not an aberration but part of a long-term strategy: weaken the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), elevate Beijing's preferred interlocutors, and erode confidence in Taiwan's democratic resilience.

China's interference is multifaceted. Taiwan's National Security Bureau has documented foreign influence in KMT leadership races, including coordinated disinformation campaigns on TikTok and YouTube. These operations are designed to appear organic, masking...