A Taiwanese delegation led by Radio Taiwan International Chairperson Cheryl Lai (賴秀如) took part in a closed-door roundtable discussion with Ukrainian media organizations. The event was part of the 2026 Lviv Media Forum, held from May 14 to May 16 and themed “Reality Under Attack,” which focused on war, information manipulation, and threats facing democratic societies.

Participating Ukrainian media outlets included public broadcasters Suspilne and the International Broadcasting Multimedia Platform of Ukraine (IBMPU), as well as independent outlets Nakypilo, Euromaidan Press, The Fix Media, and Rubryka. The discussion focused on issues facing democratic societies, like information warfare, disinformation, media resilience and China’s cognitive warfare.

Rti Vice President Chris Liu (劉嘉偉) said that social media has become the primary source of information for the Taiwanese public. He added that the spread of disinformation combined with AI-generated content has made the social media space increasingly difficult to regulate. 

Taiwan Defense Studies Initiative Cofounder Joseph Wen (溫約瑟) noted that around one-third of accounts on major social media platforms are fake and act with malicious intent to manipulate public opinion and deepen social divisions. He added that the Taiwanese government and critical infrastructure face an average of 2.6 million cyber attacks originating from China daily.

Many Ukrainian participants saw the similarities between Taiwan’s situation and Ukraine’s long experience with Russian information operations.

Chairperson Lai said that in the face of escalating geopolitical tensions and rapidly changing media landscapes, Rti sees cooperation with international media organizations as a priority. For that purpose, the outlet established the Rti Academy in 2024, which aims to build a platform for professional training and exchanges through specialized publications, hosting international forums, organizing training sessions, and participating in international events. She added that Rti launched a program this year for supporting Ukrainian journalists and welcomed two Ukrainian reporters to Taiwan for two months of in-depth reporting. Long-term residences allow international media to get a better understanding of the circumstances and challenges Taiwan is facing compared to past brief visits.

Vice President Liu said that Ukraine’s experience serves as a lesson and a warning for the Taiwanese government. Rti has been designated by the government as critical infrastructure, so it is gradually establishing backup systems to be used in times of crisis. He added that although no one wants to have that kind of experience, Taiwan and Ukraine should exchange the lessons learned in crisis planning, personnel safety, infrastructure maintenance, and disaster response.

The Ukrainian participants were curious about Taiwan’s methods of combatting information manipulation by foreign actors while upholding freedom of speech. Liu admitted it was not easy and cited the recent example of the Digital Services Act, which sparked controversy along politically polarized lines.

Another topic of interest was improving media literacy. Liu said that misinformation was not the only challenge Taiwan is facing. China is exploiting loopholes in the country’s democratic system and its open society to conduct cognitive warfare and social manipulation. He said building media resilience and enhancing social media literacy have become critical issues as a result. To expand its reach among younger audiences, Rti has launched the Young Voice 100 series of campus events, which include lectures, workshops, and training camps.