TAIPEI — Taiwan has been targeted by a wave of online disinformation claiming the self-ruled island’s gas supplies will soon be completely depleted due to disruptions from the Middle East war – a narrative officials say could cause panic and undermine confidence in the government.

The false social media posts, which have amassed thousands of views on Chinese-language platforms, include a persistent claim that Taiwan will run out of liquefied natural gas (LNG) within 11 days and face electricity blackouts due to Iran’s restrictions on tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

AFP fact-checkers found around two dozen Douyin posts from China-based accounts pushing the narrative, many of them rehashing the same video script. Some also criticised Taiwan’s decision to shut down its nuclear reactor last year, while others promoted Beijing’s offer for “peaceful reunification” as a path to energy security.

Taiwanese authorities have refuted the rumours, saying there are sufficient LNG reserves for March and April.

“They claimed that we would run out of gas – that is simply impossible,” Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin said in a Facebook video published March 9.

“LNG supplies from Qatar account for roughly one-third of our total supply. Therefore, roughly 60 to 70 per cent is basically not a problem.”

Security officials told reporters last week they were monitoring fuel-related disinformation spread by Taiwanese “collaborators”, in addition to Chinese media.

They found AI-generated content on YouTube and TikTok pushing “a consistent narrative” that Taiwan could be in a “very dire situation” and asking what would happen “if Taiwan is encircled”.

“It works by creating scenarios to make people in Taiwan... feel concerned about the government, or keep imagining that if a blockade were to happen one day, we would lose confidence in energy,” the security officials said.