TAIPEI: Taiwan pledged on Wednesday (Aug 3) to step up safety against possible disruptions by “overseas forces” including cyber episodes as tensions with China rise pursuing the visit to the self-ruled island by US Speaker Nancy Pelos i.
China demonstrated the outrage over the highest-level US visit in 25 years to the island Beijing claims as its own with a burst of military activity in encircling waters, summoning the united states ambassador in Beijing and halting several agricultural imports from Taiwan.
Pelosi arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday and left on Wednesday after pledging solidarity with the tropical isle and hailing its democracy.
Taiwan Cabinet spokesman Lo Ping-cheng told a media briefing that authorities have walked security at crucial infrastructure, including energy plants and air-ports and increased the cyber security alertness level across authorities offices.
Lo said Taiwan desires to be the target within the coming days of increased “psychological warfare”, which describes influence advertisments including misinformation to sway public opinion.
“We are seeing psychological warfare that is stronger than in the past, and it will intensify in the coming days, inch Lo said.
Taiwan officials have repeatedly warned about what they see as being a Chinese campaign to weaken people’s support for the government.
China has never renounced using force to bring Taiwan under its control, which they have said is the most important concern in its relations with all the United States. Taiwan rejects China’s sovereignty claims and vows to defend itself.
Lo urged the press in Taiwan never to act as a “propaganda tool” for Beijing and said they must be careful when citing reports by Chinese language state media.
Shortly after Pelosi’s appearance late on Tuesday, Chinese state mass media reported China’s Su-35 fighter jets had been crossing the delicate Taiwan Strait isolating the island through China, before Taiwan’s military called the document false.
Digital minister Audrey Tang said cyber assaults on Taiwan authorities units on Tuesday surpassed 15, 500 gigabits, 23 occasions higher than the previous daily record.
Many government websites including the presidential office had been subject to overseas cyber attacks, some of which government bodies said were released by China plus Russia.
Officials said planned Chinese military drills , starting from Thursday noon to midday on Weekend, would affect many 18 international trip routes near the funds Taipei.
They said the impact, however , would be limited, with slight travel time increases as planes fly alternative ways.