Taiwan has reported a significant increase in cyberattacks, military exercises, and “gray zone” tactics by China in an effort to pressure the nation and deplete its resources. According to a report by the National Security Bureau (NSB), China conducted 40 combat readiness patrols around Taiwan last year and entered Taiwan airspace 3,070 times, up nearly 80 percent from the previous year.
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) also launched successive military exercises last week, amplifying psychological and military pressure against Taiwan. Additionally, China has increased its use of drones to conduct surveillance around Taiwan and released 76 weather balloons this year, forcing Taiwan to dispatch monitoring forces 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. The bureau also recorded 510,000 instances of “controversial information” spread online by China so far this year, as part of cognitive warfare efforts aimed at dividing Taiwanese society.
Taiwan has seen a daily average of 2.19 million cyberattacks, mostly from China, with most coordinated with political issues and the Chinese military exercises. The NSB has established an automated monitoring and analysis platform to combine information provided by industry leaders, government officials, academics, and intelligence agencies to counter threats from China.
Meanwhile, Taiwan’s health authorities reported a fatal case of Coxsackie B5 enterovirus in southern Taiwan, marking the nation’s first such death in 10 years.
Source: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2025/04/08/2003834838