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China's Instagram used to steer Taiwan public opinion: Taipei official

China's Instagram used to steer Taiwan public opinion: Taipei official

Nikkei Asia5 days ago
Xiaohongshu, known as China's Instagram, has more than 300 million active users and is popular among young people in Taiwan. © Reuters
MINA ASHIKAWA
TAIPEI -- Chinese social media app Xiaohongshu is a tool used by the Communist Party to steer ideological leanings in Taiwan toward China, a Taiwanese official said, warning that it could affect the thinking of young people on the island.
"The Chinese Communist Party believes that if more young people in Taiwan use Xiaohongshu, it will lower the hurdles to controlling Taiwan," said Shen Yu-chung, deputy minister of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, which oversees the island's China policy. Shen spoke to Nikkei and other media.
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