China Accuses Taiwan of Cyberattacks Amid Rising Tensions
Political tensions between China and Taiwan have escalated following China’s accusations that Taiwan orchestrated cyberattacks on the country, allegedly backed by the Taiwanese military. Political analysts suggest that this tactic employed by China is a textbook strategy previously utilised by Russia to distract its populace from an unpopular recent law.
Accusations and Allegations
On September 23, China’s Ministry of State Security (CMSS) accused the Taiwanese Ministry of National Defence (MND) of funding hackers known as Anonymous 64. The group reportedly collaborates with the MND to infiltrate and seize control of websites, electronic billboards, and video-on-demand platforms in China, Hong Kong, and Macau.
Analysis and Reactions
An analysis published by the Institute for National Defence and Security Research (INDSR), a think tank associated with the MND and authored by policy analyst Tseng Min-Chen, argues that the accusation aims to divert attention from the bill recently passed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to increase the legal retirement age. This new legislation raises the retirement age from 60 to 63 for male workers, from 50 to 55 for female workers, and from 55 to 58 for female executives over the age of 15. This legislation has sparked significant discontent among the Chinese public.
The report claims that “China’s accusation was directly from Russia’s cognitive warfare playbook, which centres on ‘four Ds’ – ‘distract’ attention, ‘distort’ facts, ‘dismiss’ the opponent, and ‘dismay’ the intended audience.”
Tseng also questioned why the Chinese government had remained silent on the matter despite claiming that the suspicious activities attributed to the Taiwanese group had begun in 2017 with the establishment of the MND’s Information, Communications, and Electronic Force Command (ICEFCOM). Through these questionable tactics, China attempts to obscure its own status as a hub of hackers with malicious intent. Tseng emphasised that the Taiwanese government should devise a response to counter China’s cognitive warfare.
Doubts Revealed
China -: China is a large country in East Asia, known for its rich history and being the most populous country in the world.
Taiwan -: Taiwan is an island near China. It has its own government, but China claims it as part of its territory.
Cyberattacks -: Cyberattacks are when someone uses computers to try to damage or steal information from other computers or networks.
Taiwanese military -: The Taiwanese military is the group of people in Taiwan who are trained to protect the country and its people.
Analysts -: Analysts are people who study and examine information to understand what is happening and why.
Retirement age -: Retirement age is the age when people stop working and start receiving a pension or other benefits.
Public discontent -: Public discontent means that many people are unhappy or upset about something.
Hacker group -: A hacker group is a team of people who use computers to break into other computer systems, often illegally.
Anonymous 64 -: Anonymous 64 is the name of a hacker group mentioned in the news.
Ministry of National Defence -: The Ministry of National Defence is a part of the government responsible for the military and protecting the country.
Think tank -: A think tank is a group of experts who research and provide ideas on specific topics to help make decisions.
Russia -: Russia is a large country that spans Eastern Europe and northern Asia, known for its history and influence in world politics.
