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.
Photo courtesy of the Coast Guard Administration
Grey zone refers to non-combat operations designed to put pressure on Taiwan such as coast guard patrols, causing damage to undersea cables, and flying balloons.
China's coast guard is expanding its activities around Taiwan and may in future take "aggressive containment measures" in concert with the military while rehearsing attack scenarios, the report said.
Beijing is also using "hybrid warfare" to weaken people's trust in the government and support for defense 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.
China's defense ministry did not respond to a request for comment. China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control.
China could also try to suddenly shift drills into active combat mode to catch Taiwan and its international supporters off guard, posing a significant threat to regional peace and security, Taiwan's ministry added.
In recent years, China has been extensively using civilian roll-on/roll-off merchant vessels for military transport operations and continues to develop specialized equipment for beach landing operations, the ministry said.
The report was released one day before Lai gives his key national day speech tomorrow. China last year held war games after that same event in what it said was a warning to "separatist acts."
China's last formal war games around Taiwan took place in April, though its warplanes and warships operate almost daily in the skies and waters close to Taiwan.
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