Media Malfeasance
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (陸委會) severely condemned the China Times (中國時報) newspaper on June 18 for falsely reporting that former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) had reported his China itinerary to the MAC before attending the Cross-Strait Forum in Xiamen on June 15, and that the council had leaked information to specific media outlets. Ma, the MAC said, is no longer required to report travel plans to mainland China, and had not submitted any meeting details for his recent trip. The reporting of false information by the China Times, the council said, was particularly egregious following corrections made publicly two days before the outlet’s report. The incident highlights ongoing tensions between government agencies in Taiwan and pro-Beijing media outlets.