China honing abilities for a possible future attack, warns Taiwan defence report
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Taiwan said Beijing is using "hybrid warfare" to weaken people's trust in the government and support for defence spending, and stepping up "grey zone" harassment.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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TAIPEI - China is increasing military activities around Taiwan and honing its ability to stage a surprise attack, as well as seeking to undermine trust in the government with “hybrid” online warfare tactics, the island’s Defence Ministry said on Oct 9.
Democratically governed Taiwan, which China views as its own territory, has faced increased military pressure from Beijing over the past five years, including at least six rounds of major war games around the island since 2022.
“The Chinese communists have adopted routine grey-zone harassment tactics, combined with joint combat readiness patrols, targeted military exercises and cognitive warfare, posing a comprehensive threat to us,” the Defence Ministry said in a report released every two years.
Grey zone refers to non-combat operations designed to put pressure on Taiwan, such as coast guard patrols, damage to undersea cables and flying balloons.
China’s coast guard is expanding its activities around Taiwan and may, in future, take “aggressive containment measures” in concert with the military while rehearsing attack scenarios, the report said.
Beijing is also using “hybrid warfare” to weaken people’s trust in the government and support for defence spending, and using artificial intelligence (AI) tools to weaken Taiwan’s cyber security and scan for weak points in critical infrastructure, it added.
“Through both conventional and unconventional military actions, it aims to test its capabilities for attacking Taiwan and confronting foreign forces,” the ministry said.
China’s Defence Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control.
It could try to suddenly shift drills into active combat mode to catch Taiwan and its international supporters off guard, posing a significant threat to regional peace and security, Taiwan’s ministry added.
In recent years, China has been extensively using civilian roll-on/roll-off merchant vessels for military transport operations and continues to develop specialised equipment for beach landing operations, the ministry said.
The report said China is using a “professional cyber army” to manipulate social media accounts and flood them with misinformation to sow division in Taiwanese society and weaken trust in the government.
Chinese state media outlets and local collaborators have also worked to weaken the will to fight, it said.
The ministry added that China has also been using deepfake technology to make videos and utilising AI to “generate polarising political rhetoric”.
China considers Taiwan President Lai Ching-te a “separatist”.
Mr Lai rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims, saying that only the island’s people can decide their future.
Taiwan’s government has embarked on a military modernisation programme and has pledged to spend 5 per cent of gross domestic product on defence
The report was released one day before Mr Lai gives his key national day speech.
China in 2024 held war games after that same event, in what it said was a warning to “separatist acts”.
Its last formal war games around Taiwan took place in April, though its warplanes and warships operate almost daily in the skies and waters close to the island. REUTERS
