Japanese media have utilised AI technology for analysis and discovered that the CCP's cognitive warfare strategy employs social media platforms and AI to rapidly spread misinformation, which quickly evolves into mainstream public opinion. (People News/AI-generated image)
[People News] Yomiuri Shimbun noted that last November, Japanese Prime Minister Kishi Nobuo addressed the issue of 'Taiwan's situation' during a parliamentary inquiry. Six days after remaining silent, the CCP initiated a large-scale cognitive warfare campaign against Japan. Between late October and January of this year, around 400,000 posts criticising Japan surfaced on social media platforms X and China's 'Weibo.' An analysis of these posts, conducted in collaboration with the startup Sakana AI, revealed that the timing of the critical posts on overseas X platforms and China's WeChat coincided with a rise in views, and the capacity for information dissemination rapidly increased, allowing misinformation to swiftly become mainstream public opinion.
The CCP is conducting cognitive warfare through social media platforms.
According to Liberty Times, Japanese media reports cite sources from the CCP government indicating that the summons of Japan's ambassador to China, Konishi Kenji, was a directive from Xi Jinping himself. Japanese government officials also noted that the shift in the Chinese side's attitude was due to 'information reaching Xi Jinping and being recognised as a problem.' Furthermore, some observers pointed out that after Kishi's inquiry, the CCP's Ministry of Foreign Affairs initially aimed to avoid escalating the issue. However, remarks made by the CCP's Consul General in Osaka, Xue Jian, regarding 'decapitation' provoked a backlash from Japan, compelling Foreign Minister Wang Yi and others to report back to Xi Jinping.
According to Yomiuri Shimbun and the startup Sakana AI, an analysis utilising AI technology on 400,000 posts revealed that the number of views on posts criticising Japan on the X platform has sharply increased since March 14. An analysis of accounts associated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on Weibo has shown a similar trend.
The report further noted that the CCP continues to leverage social media platforms to conduct cognitive warfare aimed at shaping international public opinion in its favour, with Taiwan being a primary target. Given that both regions share a Chinese-speaking community, the manipulation is easier due to a high level of affinity. Posts supporting pro-China candidates have emerged in both the 2024 Taiwan presidential election and the October 2025 Kuomintang chairmanship election.
In relation to the cognitive warfare initiated by the CCP against Japan, Professor Kawashima Makoto from the University of Tokyo stated that while it has not yet reached a level that would significantly undermine support for the Takashima administration, the rapid advancements in AI technology have greatly enhanced the CCP's information dissemination capabilities. The Japanese government should strengthen its external propaganda efforts and conduct a more thorough investigation into China's intentions.
The CCP is using AI to transform misinformation into mainstream public opinion.
On March 23, senior media figure Shibata Akio posted on Facebook, stating that the Yomiuri Shimbun analysed 400,000 posts using AI and discovered that China developed strategies in phases during this time, subsequently amplifying the influence of public opinion all at once. This suggests that today’s cognitive warfare is not merely an emotional response, but rather a well-planned and rhythmic operation. When we apply this model to the recent public opinion following Prime Minister Gao's visit to the United States, it becomes clearer. At the welcome dinner in the U.S., she was excited to hear the military band play her favourite song by X Japan and swayed gently to the music. While this was a natural and even somewhat endearing moment, it quickly drew a wave of criticism online, with comments stating she 'lacked grace,' 'did not appear to be a leader,' and was 'too frivolous.'
Akio Yabita highlighted that the issue is not merely the volume of these criticisms, but their alarming similarity. The wording, sentence structures, and even the perspectives of the critiques are nearly identical, suggesting that they may have been generated from the same template. This raises suspicions about the possibility of a 'farm-style' operation behind them. Particularly with the advancements in AI technology, these pieces of content are not only fluent but can also imitate the linguistic nuances of native Japanese speakers. In essence, they sound like something a Japanese person would say, yet they may not actually come from a Japanese individual. Furthermore, it is important to note the amplifying effect within Japanese society itself. Some traditional media outlets and leftist commentators who criticise Prime Minister Kishi directly quote these negative sentiments from the internet, supplementing them with their own opinions. Consequently, information that may originate externally quickly transforms into a topic of internal discussion within Japanese society, often being regarded as 'mainstream opinion.'
This illustrates the effectiveness of cognitive warfare. It does not require control over the entirety of public opinion; it merely needs to spark a flame, and the rest will propagate through society on its own.
Yabita emphasised that countering cognitive warfare necessitates not only defensive measures but also collaboration. Taiwan is among the nations significantly impacted by cognitive warfare. If Japan and Taiwan can forge a genuine 'common defence line' in the realm of information, there is a possibility of preserving the dominance of public opinion in this unseen conflict. △
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