China’s military drills around Taiwan in October 2024 were marked by a surprising and bizarre propaganda move that left many Taiwanese citizens feeling unnerved. Amid a show of force that included record numbers of warplanes, navy ships, and cyber-attacks, China’s Coast Guard sent out a peculiar message meant to appear affectionate, but it quickly sparked outrage and ridicule in Taiwan.
The message in question was an image posted to social media showing Taiwan’s main island surrounded by a line of arrows forming the shape of a heart. Alongside the image was the caption, written in Taiwan’s traditional Chinese characters, saying: “Hi my sweetheart” and “The patrol is in the shape of loving you.” This message, meant to come across as an act of care or affection, was interpreted by many as deeply unsettling.
On Taiwanese social media, the reaction was swift and overwhelmingly negative. People described the image as “creepy,” and comment sections were filled with vomit emojis. Some Taiwanese likened the message to that of an abusive partner, noting how the language of love was being used in an intimidating and controlling manner. One Taiwanese newspaper even went so far as to label the image as a form of “sexual harassment.”
Adding to the confusion was what appeared to be a reference to an old Taiwanese TV show, Hi My Sweetheart, which aired over 15 years ago. While some speculated that the reference was meant to invoke memories of Rainie Yang, a popular actress from the show who has been criticized for her pro-China stance, the connection only added to the surreal nature of the message.
This propaganda effort is part of a broader Chinese strategy of using “cognitive warfare,” aiming to manipulate public opinion and psychological states. Yet, in this case, the intended message backfired. Instead of fostering goodwill or any sort of emotional connection, the Taiwanese saw it as another layer of intimidation in the ongoing political tension between Taiwan and China.
The use of an emotionally charged message during a military exercise is telling of China’s attempts to blend psychological tactics with physical demonstrations of power. In the past, Beijing has employed similar efforts, such as displaying propaganda messages on hacked monitors in Taiwan’s train stations or releasing crude animations showing missile strikes on Taiwanese cities.
Monday’s drills, which involved a large number of planes and ships encircling Taiwan, were framed as practice for a blockade or an eventual invasion, yet China’s efforts to wrap such aggression in the language of love was a striking shift in tone. It is clear that this latest act of cognitive warfare did not have the desired effect, as it left Taiwan both unimpressed and increasingly wary of Beijing’s intentions.
This episode also reveals how China is attempting to play both sides—intimidating Taiwan while trying to create a narrative of “reunification” as a benevolent act. However, as the reaction in Taiwan shows, the gap between these efforts and how they are received remains wide, with people in Taiwan seeing through the messaging as yet another form of coercion cloaked in soft language.
The pressure applied by a message like this, backed up by overwhelming military force is designed to divide Taiwan into those who are afraid and willing to give in, and those who become steeled to the Chinese threat. It is hard to say if this will be effective, but China is playing the long game, they can start over later.