White House accuses Beijing of Taiwan election meddling

China’s threats to Taiwan have overshadowed pocketbook issues — including housing prices and inflation — in the election, which also includes races for the island’s 113 legislative seats. U.S. assessments of a possible Chinese invasion attempt by as early as 2027 have fanned those fears.

Beijing’s efforts to sway the vote include “attempts to try to shape the information environment or to put economic pressure on the island through announcements of tariff changes that we’ve seen over the last couple of weeks,” the official said. The administration sees a familiar pattern in the influence campaign. “This has been a longstanding practice of Beijing … what we’re seeing is consistent with what we have seen in the past,” the official said.

The White House is confident that those efforts won’t affect poll results and warned China against intimidation tactics targeting the island after the election. “Beijing will be the provocateur should it choose to respond with additional military pressure or coercion,” the official said.

Neither the Chinese embassy nor Taiwan’s diplomatic outpost in Washington responded to requests for comment.