Taiwan Denies China’s Claims of Cyberattacks by ‘Anonymous 64’

Taiwan’s military has dismissed a report from China’s state-run CCTV that accused the Taiwanese government of funding a hacker group called Anonymous 64 to spread disinformation in China. The report, released on the same day, alleged that the Taiwanese government was behind a group of hackers known as Anonymous 64. Since the beginning of this year, the group has reportedly conducted cyberattacks to seize control of portal websites, outdoor electronic billboards, and video-on-demand platforms in China, Hong Kong, and Macau, according to Taiwan Focus.

The report indicated that the hackers’ activities include disseminating false information, creating divisions among the public, and undermining the governance of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). It linked the hackers to Taiwan’s Information, Communications, and Electronic Force Command (ICEFCOM) within the Ministry of National Defence. The report also named three individuals believed to be active members of the Taiwanese military who are under investigation by Chinese authorities for their alleged involvement in the cyberattacks.

In response, ICEFCOM issued a statement rejecting the claims, stating that its focus is on national defense and maintaining cybersecurity. The ICEFCOM emphasized that it is the People’s Liberation Army that poses a threat to Taiwan’s cybersecurity and undermines regional peace, asserting its commitment to strengthening the nation’s cybersecurity under the leadership of the Ministry of National Defense.

China maintains a near-daily military presence around democratic Taiwan, claiming the island as part of its territory and frequently deploying fighter planes, drones, and naval ships. China has called on Taiwan to accept the ‘1992 consensus,’ which asserts that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one China, as a precondition for talks.

Lai Chang-te, who is set to take the oath as Taiwan’s President on May 20, has repeatedly stated that his administration ‘will work to safeguard the status quo’ in the Taiwan Strait, according to a report by CNA. Tsai Ing-wen will step down on May 20 after serving two four-year terms as Taiwan’s President. Taiwan has long been a point of contention for Beijing, which considers the island a breakaway province and has expressed intentions to reunite it with the mainland, even by force. The median line of the Taiwan Strait has served as a tacit border between China and Taiwan for decades. During Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in August 2022, the Chinese military increasingly sent aircraft, warships, and drones across this line.