China honing abilities for a possible future attack, Taiwan warns

A China Coast Guard vessel is seen on a giant screen showing news footage about the coast guard's law enforcement patrols in waters around Taiwan, outside a shopping mall in Beijing on April 1. | REUTERS TAIPEI - China is increasing military activities near Taiwan and honing its ability to stage a surprise attack, as well as seeking to undermine trust in the government with hybrid online warfare tactics, the island's defense ministry said on Thursday. Democratically-governed Taiwan, which China views as its own territory, has faced increased military pressure from Beijing over the past five years, including at least seven rounds of major war games around the island since 2022. China has been using artificial intelligence tools to weaken Taiwan's cybersecurity and to scan for weak points in critical infrastructure, the defense ministry said in a report released every two years. Beijing is also using hybrid warfare to weaken people's trust in the government and support for defense spending, and stepping up grey zone harassment, it added, referring to non-combat operations such as coast guard patrols designed to pressure Taiwan. Through both conventional and unconventional military actions, it aims to test its capabilities for attacking Taiwan and confronting foreign forces, the ministry said.