In the last 6 months, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has increased its aggressive actions targeting Taiwan. These include military provocations, infiltration operations, and gray zone activities. In his 2024 New Year’s Eve address, PRC President Xi Jinping reiterated the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) ambitions for national unification, saying, “As compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are one family, no one can sever our bloodline affinity, and no one can block the historical momentum of the unification of the motherland.”
The PRC is taking a full-spectrum approach to intimidate Taiwan. On the military front, there have been increased incursions across the median line and a series of full-scale drills. Espionage activities include infiltrating Taiwanese media outlets, attempting to influence Taiwanese public opinion using united front activities, and stealing intellectual property to break Taiwan’s “silicon shield.” The PRC hopes these activities weaken Taiwanese citizens’ and government officials’ confidence in its national security apparatus, creating vulnerabilities to make a forceful reunification attempt easier.
Taiwan is bolstering its whole-of-society resilience drills in response. In March 2025, Taiwan’s president Lai Ching-te gave a speech in which he introduced a 17-point national security initiative to address the CCP infiltration methods, raise public awareness, and tell the world that Taiwan will counter the PRC’s influence operations. Shortly thereafterafter, Taiwan conducted its first resilience drill, involving 1,500 participants and testing evacuations, emergency responses, and civilian coordination. Readiness remains an ongoing struggle, however, in the face of steadily increasing PRC coercion.
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