Taiwan President Backs Student Warnings Over TikTok, Little Red Book Influence

President Lai said students should be trained through historical reasoning and debate to distinguish right from wrong and protect them from CCP narratives.

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te attends the 2026 Business Today Presidential and Youth Forum in Taipei, Taiwan, on May 30, 2026. Liu Shu-fu/Office of the President, Republic of China

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te backed high school students’ warnings that TikTok and Little Red Book could shape how young people understand history, China, and democracy, saying Taiwan could lose its will to defend democracy if the problem is not handled properly.

The exchange took place at the 2026 President and Youth Forum, hosted by Business Today magazine in Taipei on May 30. Students from Kang Chiao International School in Linkou proposed strengthening historical reasoning and civic education to help young people evaluate narratives they encounter online.