China has alleged that a group of hackers backed by Taiwan has launched a sustained cyberattack campaign against Beijing, even as it escalates ‘grey zone’ activities against the self-ruled island that it has pledged to annex.
Beijing’s top spy agency says it has identified a group of Taiwanese hackers backed by Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND). According to reports, the hackers are breaking into websites in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau to “defame” the political system in mainland China.
A blog posted by the Ministry of State Security on its official public WeChat account on September 23 described the hacking group Anonymous64 as “a cyber army raised by the ‘Taiwan independence’ forces.” The Independence forces referred to in the article is the Information, Communications, and Electronic Force Command (ICEFCOM), a division inside Taipei’s MND.
China alleged that the ICEFCOM was “waging online battles against the mainland on ideological and public opinion fronts.” The Chinese authorities have reportedly urged the people to report the “anti-propaganda sabotage.”
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ICEFCOM refuted the allegations, stating that it was “responsible for carrying out tasks such as providing defense information and maintaining cybersecurity.”
The blog posted on WeChat alleged that Anonymous 64 has been trying to upload and broadcast “content that denigrates the mainland’s political system and major policies” on websites, outdoor screens, and network TV stations since early 2024. The group’s X account was reportedly connected with the screenshots released by China’s Ministry of State Security.
The group’s X account was allegedly created on June 4, 2023, on the anniversary of China’s suppression of the 1989 pro-democracy protesters in Tiananmen Square. As of September 23, the account boasted over 2,700 followers and 72 posts. The account restated posts on China’s “wrongdoing” during the 1989 protests.
In the latest posts, the group had said it compromised mainland establishments’ websites, including hotels, colleges, and defense education centers, to show content critical of the ruling Communist Party. The account also acknowledged that it had compromised screens in a few mainland stores and public areas.
China went so far as to allege that Taiwan had supported the hackers since 2017. The blog stated that ICEFCOM has been targeting the mainland’s defense and military industries, aviation and aerospace, energy infrastructure, and other areas, “seeking targets to carry out cyberattacks to steal sensitive data and information and gather intelligence for the Taiwan authorities.”
Taiwan refutes Chinese allegations it's behind a hacker group targeting China. pic.twitter.com/zJyjdL3baE
— TaiwanPlus News (@taiwanplusnews) September 23, 2024
The blog further said that the command had “tried to create the illusion that the mainland’s cybersecurity protection is extremely fragile” by “frequently distorting online public opinion” and benefiting from “amplifying contradictions and instigating confrontation”.
It also released the names and images of three ICEFCOM personnel it accused of orchestrating the attacks. Additionally, in what sounded like a stern warning, the ministry said it would strictly enforce a directive from Beijing in June, which stated that “Taiwan independence” separatists could face the death penalty in cases of extreme secession deemed to “seriously endanger the country and its people.”
The development comes at a time when China has intensified its military activity against Taiwan in a bid to intimidate the island’s forces. China claims Taiwan as a renegade province and has vowed to occupy it, with force if necessary. Chinese troops regularly rehearse amphibious landings and blockade of the island state.
The allegations against Taiwan are surprising, especially since Taiwan regularly blames Chinese forces for launching cyberattacks against Taipei.
The ICEFCOM said, “The current enemy situation and cyber threats are severe. The Chinese communist military and forces that coordinate with it continue to use aircraft, ships, and cyberattacks to harass Taiwan and are the originators of undermining regional peace.”
Meanwhile, Taiwan’s trusted partner, the United States, is sending the biggest-ever military aid package to bolster the island’s military capability.
US Military Aid Package For Taiwan
Several congressional aides and a US official told Defense News that the US is preparing to send Taiwan its biggest-ever security package. According to reports, the Pentagon has already authorized the package, which would cover air defenses, drones, military stocks, training, multi-domain awareness, and anti-armor weapons.
According to two sources who spoke to the publication, President Joe Biden is anticipated to sign the $567 million package by the end of this month, which is the end of the fiscal year. This would be almost twice as much as the US sent in its previous $345 million package from the previous year. The report states that the Biden administration will ship its stockpiles to deliver aid in record time.
An unidentified U.S. official said that the security assistance will pay for multi-domain awareness, anti-armor weaponry, training, stocks, and air defense. Drones, a crucial component of Taiwan and the United States’ “asymmetric” defense strategy against China’s far more powerful military, will also be used.
Several authorities have stated that the almost-approved package underwent numerous rounds of changes. Initially, the Pentagon had planned to spend less. However, during a meeting last summer with various government officials, several top officials pushed for more, arguing that more aid was required, which is how the $567 million figure was agreed upon.
While the US adheres to the ‘One China policy’ and does not officially recognize Taiwan, it regularly sends arms to the island state to prepare it for a potential Chinese invasion, which could occur as early as 2027, as warned by several US military officers.
When probed about a potential package, a spokesperson for Taiwan’s unofficial embassy in Washington said, “We have no comment on this matter. Taiwan will continue to enhance defense capabilities and closely work with the United States to actively uphold peace, stability, and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait and in the Indo-Pacific region.”
China fiercely opposes US military aid to Taiwan, alleging that Washington strives to make Taiwan a powder-keg nation. Earlier this month, the spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced American military assistance to Taiwan, saying it “sends a wrong message to ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces.”
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