Chinese Religious Groups Allegedly Facilitate Matchmaking in Taiwan

Concerns have emerged regarding China’s potential use of religious groups to conduct matchmaking events for young people in Taiwan. According to Shen Yu-chung, Deputy Minister of the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), these activities may serve as a strategy for Beijing to infiltrate Taiwanese society, as he informed lawmakers during a session yesterday.

At a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, Chen Chun-yu, a legislator from the Democratic Progressive Party, cited findings from the Taiwan Information Environment Research Center. He noted that approximately 16,000 Taiwanese participated in matchmaking events organized by religious groups in China last year. Most of these events took place in Fujian Province, an area known for its “united front” operations aimed at Taiwan. Chen requested further insights from Shen regarding the government’s position on these activities.

Shen clarified that while the government does not oppose normal exchanges among religious organizations, it is concerned about Beijing’s involvement. He expressed regret that China has inserted itself into these interactions, which facilitate political interference. Specifically, he mentioned that Chinese temples appear to be instructed to refer to the goddess Matsu as a Chinese deity and that pro-Beijing narratives are integrated into organized tours.

According to Shen, the Chinese Communist Party is strategically using religious festivals to encourage young Taiwanese to engage with Chinese nationals at matchmaking events. He suggested that this is part of a broader strategy to promote Taiwan’s assimilation into China through cultural influence and social connections.

In a related matter, Shen reported that the MAC and the National Security Bureau are closely monitoring an increase in misleading reports circulating on social media and news outlets following a summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping yesterday. He indicated that Beijing appears to be leveraging pro-China academics and think tanks based in the United States to disseminate narratives that favor China or undermine the reliability of the US as an ally.

Shen concluded that employing Americans to propagate Chinese-produced propaganda is a tactic aimed at enhancing the perceived credibility of pro-Beijing viewpoints.