Authorities in southern China have announced rewards for information leading to the arrest of 20 individuals they allege are Taiwanese military hackers. The move has drawn a strong condemnation from Taiwan’s defense ministry.
The public security bureau in Guangzhou, a major city in southern China, stated that the individuals are part of the Taiwan military’s Information, Communications and Electronic Force Command. The bureau publicly released pictures, names, and Taiwan identity card numbers of those accused.
A reward of 10,000 yuan (approximately $1,392.25) is being offered for individuals who provide actionable clues or cooperate in the arrest of these individuals, according to a statement from the bureau that was carried by Chinese state media.
According to China, these alleged hackers have been involved in the organization, planning, and execution of attacks on critical sectors within China, Hong Kong, and Macau. These sectors include military, aerospace, government departments, energy and transportation, maritime affairs, and science and technology research firms. Xinhua news agency reported these allegations, citing them as information from the public security bureau.
Xinhua, further citing a cybersecurity report, claimed that the Taiwan “information, communication and digital army” has collaborated with what it termed “US anti-Chinese forces.” This alleged collaboration, according to the report, is aimed at conducting public opinion and cognitive warfare against China, secretly instigating revolution, and attempting to disrupt public order within China.
In response to these accusations and bounty offers, Taiwan’s defense ministry’s Information, Communications and Electronic Force Command issued a statement firmly denying the claims. They stated they are not carrying out any “corporate cyber attacks.” The ministry characterized China’s bounty offers as highlighting “the rude and unreasonable attitude of the Chinese communists in intimidating and coercing the Taiwanese people.”
The statement from Taiwan’s defense ministry also pointed to recent international condemnation of alleged Chinese hacking activities. “Recent statements by the European Union, the United States and the Czech Republic condemning the Chinese communists’ hacking organisations for carrying out cyber-attacks prove that the Chinese communists are not only a regional troublemaker, but a common threat to the global internet,” the ministry’s statement added.
A senior security official from Taiwan, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the matter, told Reuters that the Chinese allegations are “invented.” The official suggested that Beijing is attempting to deflect attention from scrutiny within the Czech Republic and Europe regarding alleged Chinese hacking activities in those regions. “They fabricated a false narrative to shift the focus. It’s a very typical behaviour by the Chinese Communist Party,” the official stated.
China further alleged that Taiwan has a longstanding history of cooperation with various US intelligence agencies, including the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). China claimed this cooperation is part of the United States’ “Asia-Pacific Strategy” and represents Taiwan’s attempt to gain independence by relying on the United States.
An account linked to Chinese state television posted on social media, alleging that “The US intelligence department has long provided personnel training and technical equipment support for Taiwan’s ‘information, communication and digital army’, and many police stations have sent ‘hunting’ teams to Taiwan, to launch cyber attacks on China.”
This development follows a previous instance where authorities in Guangzhou attributed a cyber attack on an unnamed technology company to the Taiwan government last week. At that time, Guangzhou authorities claimed that Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party supported the “overseas hacker organisation” responsible for the attack.
Taiwan responded to that earlier accusation by stating that Beijing was disseminating false information and asserted that it is China itself that is carrying out hacking activities against the island.
