1. P E O P LE ’S R E P U BLIC O F C H IN A
VS .
R E P U BLIC O F C H IN A
Propaganda Warfare since 1949-Present Day
Vincy Davis
Roll No.128

2. Geo-political History
 17th century – Taiwan (Republic of
China) colonised by PRC (mainland
China)
 1895 – 1st Sino-Japanese War results
in Taiwan being ceded to Japan.
Taiwan Chinese refuse to leave
Taiwan. Disillusioned by Quing
Dynasty, mainland Chinese call for the
creation of a Republic.
 1912 – First Republic headed by Sun
Yat-Sen establishes Kuomintang (KMT)
in mainland China to unite fragmented
country. Builds alliance with fledging
Communist Party of China (CPC)

3.  1925 – Chiang Kai-shek takes over KMT
 1945 – World War II. Japan hands over Taiwan to
ROC. Internal fight between KMT and CPC
 1949 – Chinese Civil War. People’s Republic of
China formed with CPC at helm headed by Mao
Zedong. Chiang Kai-shek takes KMT and his army
to Taiwan. Claims it’s the true China. Turf war
ensues
 50’s-70’s – Cold War. UN recognises ROC as sole
representative of China.USA supports propaganda
against the Communist PRC
 1971 – UN recognises PRC as representative of
China. Cultural Revolution on in PRC.
 2000 – ROC democratised ending KMT rule.
 Present day – PRC continues to claim Taiwan as
part of mainland China. ROC’s stand remains the
same

4. From left:
Chiang Kai
Shek, leader
of ROC and
Mao Zedong,
leader of PRC

5. The View: PRC vs. ROC
 For Beijing, Taiwan is a rebellious province whose
ultimate destiny must be political and economic
unification with the mainland.
 In Taipei, the ROC government neither races toward
reunion nor utterly forswears it but embraces
instead an uneasy status quo.
 Cross-Straits Relations – Term given to the relations
between PRC and ROC.
 Military stalemate to diplomatic war from ’49-’79.
China calls it “hot war”, Taiwan - “cold war”

6. Propaganda Employed By PRC
 Plans to ‘liberate’ Taiwan on since before mainland
China’s independence
 Propaganda machinery extremely strong part of
enforcing supremacy.
 Historically, propaganda work by CCP divided into
internal and external categories
 Central Propaganda Department oversees internal
propaganda
 Media tightly controlled and censorship is a norm

7. Key Propaganda Media
 China Central Television or CCTV (2,262 tv stations
of which 2,248 were "local")
 “People’s Daily” and other newspapers (2,119
approx.)
 Periodicals (9,074 approx. and 1,123 publishing
houses)
 Film
 Xinhua, national news agency
 Posters
 Cultural arts – Music, Plays
 Educational Curricula and Research

8. US intervention
From 50’s onwards, the Cold War
b/w Eastern and Western Bloc was
at its heyday.
US’ “support” to Taiwan was
viewed by PRC as the spread of
imperialism which had to be
quashed so as to truly “liberate”
Taiwan.
US took advantage of the situation
to control the spread of
communism in mainland China.

9.  1950 – First Taiwan Straits Crisis. US
intervenes. PRC launches propaganda
campaign to ‘liberate’ Taiwan from the
hands of imperialists.
“We must liberate Taiwan, 1958”

10.  Posters emphasized
maltreatment of Taiwanese
 Racist undertones
“Save our Taiwanese compatriots!” 1954

11. “Uncles from the People's Liberation
Army! Quickly go and liberate our little
distressed friends in Taiwan”, 1955

12. “Resolutely liberate Taiwan, save the
Taiwanese people from their misery!”
1955
“We will definitely free Taiwan” 1971
“We will certainly liberate Taiwan”
1955

13.  1958 – Great
Leap Forward.
Mao Zedong
convinces 'East
wind was
prevailing over
the West wind‘.
Quemoy and
Matzu bombed.
 This was the
first step in the
campaign to
take the island.
“Smash the pact between the United States and Jiang Jieshi (Chiang Kaishek),
persevere in the liberation of Taiwan” 1955

14. •Copies of Mao’s
Little Red Book
was set overboard
fishing vessels like
the Gospel in
Taiwan in plastic
packs.
•Attempt to show
the magnanimity of
the ‘motherland’
failed to convince
Taiwan
“The loving care of the mother country”1976

15.  “Red Crag” a very famous 1961
Chinese novel featuring
underground communist agents
fighting an espionage battle
against the Kuomintang.

16.  Propaganda
sign in
Xiamen,
China facing
Kinmen, ROC
"Peaceful Unification. One country two systems“ 2010

17. The Online Propaganda Battle
 PRC-based Internet sites remain a leading source of Chinese
language and China-related news for overseas Chinese.
 PRC's Internet repression is considered more extensive and
more advanced than in any other country in the world. The
governmental authorities can block website content and also
monitor individual users
 China now known for its internet "spin doctors", trained internet
users who comment on blogs, public forums or wikis to influence
public opinion relating to PRC-ROC relations and otherwise
 Sites hosted by KMT and major newspaper and television media
and other sites with information on Taiwanese independence are
banned

18. External Propaganda
 The Office of Foreign Propaganda
 CCTV describes itself as "the mouthpiece of
the Party and the government“
 Communist Party of China embarked on a
multi billion dollar global media expansion
including a 24 hour English news channel
 “People’s Daily” has an international edition
 Cultural soft power in the form of setting up
Confucius Institutes globally
 Special centers set up in PRC to train online
spin doctors who spread propaganda through
Twitter, Facebook, Youtube etc.

19. Propaganda Tools Employed by ROC
 Government Information System main disseminator of
propaganda till recently
 After fleeing from the mainland, propaganda through “public
education” has mainly helped establish strong nationalist
sentiments
 KMT’s chief propaganda message throughout was to maintain
that it was “Free China” with a personality cult built around Kai-
shek
 Democratic Taiwan passed a law to abolish the Government
Information Office and replace it with a National Communications
Commission, styled after the FCC in the United States. The
Kuomintang still controls many media properties, though its
influence is much less than before

20. Key Propaganda Media
 Propaganda machinery involved extensive
use balloons to dispatch leaflets and booklets
(213 million approx.), food, toys, household
goods, daily commodities, national flags,
cassettes of famous Taiwanese singers,
"passports" promising good treatment to
defectors till ’79
 Free China Journal and numerous other
publications

21. • Balloons
bearing flags,
ribbons,
propaganda
leaflets and
other items
launched from
Quemoy to
mainland China,
20.9.1965
•“The Chinese-
Chinese Psywar”: In
1979 both sides send
out their propaganda
by radio, balloons,
artillery shells, sea
floats and
loudspeakers. Small
gifts were sent too; he
mentioned underwear,
toys and cooking oil.

22.  Souvenir
booklets
like this one
carried
detailed the
successful
activities of
Taiwanese
and derided
PRC

23. “Anti-Maoism is righteous!”
 Leaflets most popular medium for spreading
propaganda

24. • Above Mao: He is our real enemy!
On Mao’s torch: Cultural Revolution
Below: China’s innate historical culture
At right: The United Front denouncing Mao and saving the country

25. “The mighty National Air Force
guarantees the rescue of our
compatriots on the mainland! “
 Many leaflets designed to impress mainland
Chinese with the power of the Taiwanese military
forces
 This leaflet depicts a Taiwan flight line of F-104
Starfighters

26. “Celebrating the 100th
Anniversary of the Birth of the
Father of our Country”
“ Build up Taiwan; Restore the
Mainland”
 Most leaflets carried “Three Guarantees” on the back to potential
defectors – Life of dignity, social security and “freedom”

27. “Mr. Sun Yat-sen, founder of the
Republic of China
To commemorate the birth of Sun
Yat-sen, the father of our country,
we must overthrow the dictatorial,
despotic Mao regime;
We must endeavor to achieve: a
country jointly possessed by the
people, an administration run
jointly by the people and an
economy jointly enjoyed by the
people as set down in the Three
Principles of the People.”
 Sun Yat-sen is considered the father of the Chinese nation. His
image appears on pre-Communist Chinese stamps, currency,
and numerous leaflets during the Cold War.

28. “President Chiang is the savior of
the Chinese people.”
“Possession of this leaflet is proof
of anti-communist intent and
guarantees special treatment”

29.  Many of the leaflets depict young people getting married. This
seems to be a favorite theme of the Nationalists and one wonders if
the Mainland Chinese were tempted to defect to Taiwan to find love!

30.  Many of the leaflets that encouraged red Chinese pilots to defect to
Taiwan had maps giving them course and distance to fly because
the Chinese Communists had removed the Island of Taiwan from
the maps that they were given for security reasons. These leaflets
were very successful.

31.  Propaganda
sign at
Kinmen
facing
Mainland
China
"Three Principles of the People Unites China“ 2003

32. Other propaganda media
 Bookmarks
 Leaflets
 Match Boxes
 Food bags with
messages
 Actual Magnolia
leaves with
messages

33. “Brothers both overseas and domestic all care about our
mainland compatriots.
Food and clothing are being prepared for delivery to people
enduring hardship on the mainland.”
Real magnolia leaves were subjected to a chemical
process to remove all the juice and sap and leave
only the skeleton veins. They were then colored
according to the seasons and overprinted with an
anti-Communist slogan or message.

35. India’s stance
 Recognised PRC as legitimate China since
1950
 Diplomatic relations with ROC improved post
1990 through economic and commercial links
 Disputed claims of Arunachal Pradesh/South
Tibet b/w India, PRC and ROC

36. Analysis
 Unequal political rivals hence inequity in propaganda. PRC has
more advantage as it receives benefits of international recognition
 Relations b/w PRC and ROC characterised by limited contact,
instability and tensions.
 Both used propaganda to legitimise state policies and popularise
national leaders
 ROC’s description of mainland China has throughout been
negative. Overarching messsages of ROC propaganda –
7. Decidedly anti-Mao
8. Emphasis on the ‘glory’ of Taiwan
9. Emphasis on big brother nature of mainland China
 Overarching messages of PRC propaganda –
11. Portrayal of Mao as patriarch of China
12. Need for unifying the ‘motherland’

37. Recent Developments
 China’s has mellowed its “one country, two
systems” stance to letting the uncomfortable
status quo carry on
 Both sides appreciate complexity of situation
especially since democratisation and
economic rise of ROC
 Economic links have been established. Talks
on political relations however remain stalled

38. References
 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/25/rabbit-cartoon-chinese-new-
 http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/asia/china/china-taiwan.html
 http://chineseposters.net/themes/taiwan-liberation.php
 http://www.psywarrior.com/NationalistChinesePropaganda.html
 http://ics.leeds.ac.uk/papers/gdr/exhibits/5/Microsoft_Word_-_Offshore_pr
 Taiwan's Propaganda Cold War: The Offshore Islands Crises of 1954 and
Rawnsley
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propaganda_in_the_Republic_of_China
 http://www.india.org.tw/003/download/com1_annual%20trade%20report_w
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_relations_of_the_Republic_of_China
 Ravi Velloor, “China and India Reaffirm Claims to Disputed State,”
Straits Times, November 15, 2006,
http://www.taiwansecurity.org/ST/2006/ST-151106.htm.