CHINA WATCHDigital Siege Puts Taiwan’s Resilience to the Test
The most sustained conflict unfolding between China and Taiwan is not taking place on the water or in the air; it is happening in cyberspace.
The most sustained conflict unfolding between China and Taiwan is not taking place on the water or in the air; it is happening in cyberspace.
Over the past two years, China has escalated a comprehensive cyber warfare campaign against Taiwan. The campaign is persistent, technically sophisticated and politically calibrated. It combines state-backed espionage, psychological operations, critical infrastructure intrusions and disinformation, and it is deeply integrated into Beijing’s broader effort to destabilize Taiwan with action below the threshold of war.
China’s cyber activities against Taiwan are extensive and strategically coordinated. Prominent Chinese intruder groups capable of lurking in networks have conducted long-term cyber operations against Taiwanese government agencies, critical infrastructure and private sector entities. These campaigns are not solely intelligence-gathering exercises; many implant malware and establish persistent access that could be exploited in the event of a military contingency.
Taiwan’s National Security Bureau reported more than 2.4 million intrusion attempts per day targeting government networks in 2024—more than double the previous year. Many of these are attributed to Chinese actors seeking to exfiltrate sensitive data and prepare for potential sabotage of communications, energy systems and military infrastructure. US officials have described this activity as the ‘preparation of the battlefield’, whereby China positions itself to disrupt Taiwan’s command-and-control, logistics and public services at the outset of any conflict.
The campaign extends well beyond conventional cyber espionage. Beijing has significantly expanded its use of information warfare. According to the National Security Bureau, over 2.15 million disinformation incidents targeting Taiwan were documented in 2024, a nearly twofold increase from the previous year. These efforts aim to undermine trust in Taiwan’s democratic institutions, weaken public morale and amplify narratives that serve Beijing’s interests—such as portraying the United States as an unreliable security partner or depicting Taiwan’s military as ineffective.
The methods used are diverse. They include AI-generated deepfakes, fake news websites, hijacked social media accounts and content farms. Many of the campaigns are designed to interfere in Taiwan’s domestic politics. During the 2024 presidential election, a coordinated wave of false claims—ranging from fabricated scandals to conspiracy theories about foreign interference—circulated on Facebook, TikTok, YouTube and Line, a Japanese messaging platform. Analysts have also observed a significant increase in disinformation targeting young Taiwanese audiences through Chinese platforms and short-video content.
