Theaters and institutions in Taiwan have been the targets of 28 threatening e-mails, including bomb and shooting threats, since October, following the screening of State Organs (國有器官), a documentary critical of Chinese government practices.
Taiwan’s National Security Bureau (NSB) reported these incidents on 26 November, attributing them to China’s efforts to undermine the nation’s sovereignty.
The documentary, State Organs, investigates allegations that Chinese government officials engage in organ harvesting and other illegal activities.
Its screenings across Taiwan prompted the threats, though none have materialised. Despite this, authorities have increased police presence around theaters to ensure public safety.
According to the NSB, the threats were sent to a mix of public institutions, including theaters like Showtime Cinemas in Taipei’s Nangang District, the Kaohsiung City Council, and the Ministry of Culture.
Kaohsiung reported the highest number of incidents at seven, followed by Taipei, New Taipei City, and Yilan County, with three each.
The NSB stated that its preliminary investigations traced the threatening e-mails to multiple countries, with eight originating in France, five each from the United States and China, and two each from Germany, Hong Kong, and the United Kingdom.
Additional threats were sent from Thailand, Vietnam, Turkey, Japan, Spain, and Russia. The bureau noted the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) to obscure the true origins of the e-mails.
China’s broader strategy of interference
The NSB views the threats as part of a broader strategy by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to erode Taiwan’s sovereignty and influence domestic affairs.
According to a report submitted to the legislature, the CCP has used multifaceted tactics such as cyber intimidation, infiltration, and manipulation to impose its “anti-secession” laws and expand its jurisdiction over Taiwan.
The bureau highlighted that these efforts aim to isolate Taiwan internationally and undermine its political and cultural independence.
Examples include the CCP’s attempts to exert legal control over Taiwan-related matters, strengthen laws against independence movements, and threaten Taiwanese citizens overseas through intelligence networks.
Security measures and legislative actions
The NSB affirmed its commitment to countering these threats through enhanced security measures and international cooperation. “We will closely monitor CCP cyberintimidation attempts and bolster domestic security,” an NSB official said, as quoted by Central News Agency (CNA).
The bureau has also been working with international intelligence agencies to track and neutralise the sources of such threats.
In the written report submitted to Taiwan’s legislature, the NSB emphasised its ongoing efforts to expose CCP strategies and inform the public to ensure national resilience against interference.
Taiwan’s legislature is scheduled to hear a report from the NSB, the Ministry of Culture, the National Police Agency, and the Mainland Affairs Council on 27 November.
The discussion will focus on challenges related to the screening of State Organs, the CCP’s long-arm jurisdiction strategy, and Taiwan’s countermeasures.
The NSB underscored that its intelligence teams are actively reinforcing collaboration both domestically and internationally.
“China’s long-arm jurisdiction tactics involve infiltration, threats, and manipulation to weaken Taiwan’s sovereignty,” the bureau stated in its report, adding that it remains vigilant in countering these efforts.
