The Ministry of National Defense today denied claims by China’s security agency that it was behind a hacker group that has been carrying out cyberattacks against Chinese targets.
The Chinese Ministry of State Security earlier today in a post on WeChat said that the hacker group “Anonymous 64” has since early this year sought to upload and broadcast "content that denigrates the mainland's political system and major policies" on Web sites, outdoor screens and TV stations.
It claimed that the Taiwanese military’s cyberwarfare command was behind the group, and said it had opened investigations into three members of the military wing.
Photo: Reuters
The post included their photographs and names.
"We advocate that netizens should not believe in or spread rumors and should promptly report cyberattacks or cases of anti-propaganda activity to the national security authorities," the Chinese ministry said.
The Information, Communications and Electronic Force Command (ICEFCOM) in a statement denied the claims and said it is China that is undermining regional stability.
The unit is tasked with maintaining the military’s online networks and communication, it said.
It is rather the Chinese military “and forces that coordinate with it that continue to use aircraft, ships and cyberattacks to harass Taiwan and are the originators of undermining regional peace," it added.
ICEFCOM was formed in July 2017 to integrate the information, communications and electronic capabilities of the military’s three branches.
It is also tasked with responding to threats from the Chinese People's Liberation Army Cyberspace Force.
Anonymous 64’s X account said it was set up in June last year and showed screenshots of efforts to broadcast videos likening Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) to an emperor, marking the second anniversary of protests against Beijing's strict COVID-19 curbs and commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square demonstrations.
NATIONAL SECURITY: Authorities are working to confirm the identities of the military personnel involved and investigating possible illegal conduct and regulatory violations Authorities are probing possible national security implications after Kinmen police and immigration officers on Sunday found a Chinese woman allegedly posing as a tourist while engaging in prostitution involving more than 10 military personnel. The woman, surnamed Chen (陳), has since been deported, authorities said, adding that investigators are still working to confirm the identities of those implicated, as the records only listed code names and aliases. The case stemmed from a report received by the Kinmen District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday last week from the Jinhu Precinct of the Kinmen County Police Bureau. On Sunday, police, along with the National Immigration
GLOBALGIVING: ‘ Caving to external pressure is not acceptable for an organization that has cultivated justice reform and human rights for 30 years,’ one NGO said A slew of non-government organizations (NGOs) have withdrawn from the GlobalGiving fundraising platform after it announced it would use “Chinese Taipei” instead of “Taiwan” from next month. The Taiwan Good Rice Association wrote on Facebook on Friday that it was informed on April 28 via a teleconference call of the change, which was made because the platform wanted to operate in China. Taiwan Good Rice is to terminate all cooperative relationships with GlobalGiving in response to the platform’s “unilateral and non-negotiable” decision to remove references to Taiwan, the NGO said. “Taiwan is in the official name of Taiwan Good Rice Association and the
HEAVY WEATHER: Typhoon Jangmi is due to crash straight into the Ryukyus as airlines look to shift flights to larger aircraft or cancel flights to Okinawa entirely Taiwan’s international air carriers announced flight adjustments over the weekend as Typhoon Jangmi is forecast to hit the Ryukyu Islands today and tomorrow. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) upgraded Jangmi from a tropical storm to a typhoon at 8am yesterday, with the eye located 580km south of Naha city. It was moving north at 19kph. Today, China Airlines’ CI-120, CI-121, CI-122 and CI-123 flights between Taoyuan and Naha, Okinawa, have been canceled as well as CI-132 and CI-133 between Kaohsiung and Naha. EVA Air’s BR-112, BR-113, BR-186 and BR-185 flights between Taoyuan and Naha are also canceled. Low-cost carrier Tigerair Taiwan canceled IT-230,
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) yesterday briefed her party’s Central Standing Committee regarding her scheduled visit to the US between Monday next week and June 16, saying that her purpose would be to persuade the US that the Republic of China (ROC) Constitution was a “one China” constitution that would foster stable and peaceful cross-strait relations. The ROC Constitution is the most important defense for all Taiwanese citizens, as it upholds our democracy and has contributed to our robust economy, which aligns with international and US interests, she said. “We would not be troublemakers and drag the US under,”