The European Parliament on Wednesday approved a report outlining the threat to democracy of foreign disinformation while calling for closer cooperation with Taiwan on the issue.

The report, issued by the parliament’s Special Committee on Foreign Interference in all Democratic Processes in the European Union, including Disinformation (INGE), highlighted the widespread lack of awareness in EU member states about the threat of disinformation from countries such as Russia and China.

It recommended a range of possible countermeasures, including public funding for fact-checkers, revoking the licenses of organizations distributing foreign state propaganda, and banning foreign funding of political parties in the EU.

It also encouraged universities in the EU to reconsider their cooperation with Confucius Institutes, which the report characterized as “Chinese lobby platforms.”

The report specifically cited the “advanced skills and strategies” developed by Taiwan, which it said stood “at the forefront” of the fight against information manipulation, mainly coming from China.

“The success of the Taiwanese system is founded on cooperation of all branches of government, also with independent NGOs specialized in fact checking and media literacy and with social media platforms … as well as on the promotion of media literacy for all generations,” it said.

In response, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) issued a statement Thursday welcoming the report, noting that INGE Special Committee members had made an official visit to Taiwan last November.

Taiwan will continue to work with the EU and other democratic partners to combat disinformation, MOFA said, citing how the latter has been used amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The INGE report was approved by the European Parliament with 552 votes in favor, 81 votes against, and 60 abstentions.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel