Taiwan's NSB warns of escalating Chinese cyberattacks, military pressure in latest report

Taipei [Taiwan] April 8 : China has been increasing cyberattacks, military exercises and 'gray zone' tactics against Taiwan in a combined effort to pressure the nation and deplete its resources, Taipei Times reported citing National Security Bureau (NSB) report.
The NSB submitted a written report to the Legislative Yuan in preparation for NSB Director-General Tsai Ming-yen's meeting with the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, Taipei Times reported.
Last year, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) conducted the "Joint sword-2024A and B" military exercises around Taiwan and carried out 40 combat readiness patrols, the NSB said. In addition, Chinese military aircraft entered Taiwan airspace 3,070 times last year, up nearly 80 per cent from 1,703 times in 2023.
On March 17 this year, the PLA conducted two combat readiness patrols in a single day for the first time, the bureau said.
The PLA launched successive military exercises last Tuesday and Wednesday, amplifying psychological and military pressure against Taiwan, it added.
The Taipei Times report highlighted that the bureau also pointed out that China is continuing to diversify its gray zone tactics, including expanding the use of drones to conduct surveillance around Taiwan. China has also increased its use of weather balloons, the NSB said, releasing 76 so far this year as of March 19, compared with 147 throughout last year.
These balloons forced Taiwan to dispatch monitoring forces, taking up responsive resources and undermining external communication resilience.
The NSB intends to increase communication and intelligence cooperation with international partners and enhance its strategic analysis capabilities to strengthen Taiwan's defenses against China, Taipei Times reported.
Regarding cognitive warfare, intelligence agents have recorded 510,000 instances of "controversial information" spread online by China so far this year, the bureau said.
According to NSB, China has been using state-run media, privately-run accounts, cyber-army groups and PR firms to manipulate public opinion.
China uses cognitive warfare to divide Taiwanese society by commenting on controversial issues such as the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co's (TSMC) plans and operations in the US, NSB added.
The NSB said it had already established an automated monitoring and analysis platform to combine information provided by industry leaders, government officials, academics and intelligence agencies. It would continue optimising data protection, monitoring domestic and international cyberattack intelligence and deepening international cooperation to counter threats from China.