cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/43773688

China is increasing military activities near 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 defense ministry said today.

Taiwan has faced increased military pressure from Beijing during the past five years, including at least seven rounds of major war games around Taiwan 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 defense ministry said in a report released every two years.

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Beijing is also using “hybrid warfare” to weaken people’s trust in the government and support for defence spending, and using artificial intelligence tools to weaken Taiwan’s cybersecurity and to 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.

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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 collaborators have also worked to weaken the will to fight, it said.

The ministry added China has also been using deepfake technology to make videos and utilising AI to “generate polarising political rhetoric”.

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The report was released one day before Lai gives his key national day speech. China last year held war games after that same event in what it said was a warning to “separatist acts”.

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