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🇰🇷 South Korea /Culture & Society

China Turns National Security Education Into a TV Drama, Taiwan Strait Spy Series ‘Jiaofeng’ Tops Ratings

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Chinese state security authorities led the production of “Jiaofeng,” a spy drama about information warfare between China and Taiwan, which quickly became the top-rated prime-time series.
  • The drama draws on real espionage cases and a 20-year conflict that began after former Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui’s 1995 visit to the United States.
  • Authorities promote the series as mass national security education amid a campaign focused on opposing separatism and espionage.

A spy drama led by China’s Ministry of State Security has moved straight to the top of the ratings, while also serving as a nationwide lesson in national security. “Jiaofeng,” whose title means “Confrontation,” began airing on CCTV’s drama channel on the 6th, with two episodes shown every evening at 7:30 p.m.

The series is based on real events involving Taiwan’s intelligence agencies and China. It follows two decades of information warfare after relations deteriorated following then-Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui’s 1995 visit to the United States. From its opening episode, the drama directly names Lee and criticizes him for “inciting separatist consciousness.” It also features a character resembling him ordering the acquisition of a Chinese missile-related plan.

The show is the first contemporary national security and counterespionage drama produced under the leadership of the Ministry of State Security. Last year’s “Glory of Silence” focused on underground Chinese Communist Party organizations operating in Taiwan around 1949. “Jiaofeng,” by contrast, turns to present-day tensions across the Taiwan Strait and the intelligence war connected to them.

The drama with the strongest propaganda and political warning elements aimed at Taiwan since 1949.

· An unidentified researcherThe researcher described the series to Singapore’s Lianhe Zaobao.

A researcher who was not identified told Singapore’s Lianhe Zaobao that the drama had the strongest propaganda and political warning elements aimed at Taiwan since 1949. Beijing Daily-affiliated Chang’an Street Knowledge described the decision to address espionage operations across the Taiwan Strait since the 1990s as “a breakthrough for Chinese television.” Scenes involving the recruitment of a missile expert reportedly reflect real espionage cases uncovered in 1999.

The Ministry of State Security has recently called for stronger public education on national security, emphasizing opposition to separatism and espionage. Promotional material for “Jiaofeng” says infiltration now extends beyond ordinary personal relationships to cyberattacks, data theft and the collection of open-source information, presenting the drama as an example of popular national security education.

A breakthrough for Chinese television.

· Chang’an Street KnowledgeThe Beijing Daily-affiliated publication assessed the drama’s focus on Taiwan Strait espionage since the 1990s.
About this summary

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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