For the first time, public security authorities in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) are targeting Taiwanese military personnel and so-called “Taiwan independence” forces through a law enforcement framework. Akin to techniques previously used in Hong Kong, the Guangzhou Public Security Bureau recently issued a “wanted” notice offering a reward for information leading to the apprehension of 20 retired and active personnel in Taiwan’s Information, Communication, and Electronic Force Command (ICEFCOM).
The operation appears to involve close coordination between the Public Security Bureau and state media outlets. Within minutes of the announcement, the photos and ID numbers of the 20 Taiwanese personnel were plastered across the Chinese Internet, as was a detailed report purporting to show how they had launched a cyberattack against PRC institutions. Part of a growing trend of cyber and psychological warfare tactics, this latest operation sought to reframe the issue by portraying the PRC as a victim and Taipei as an aggressor, while also aiming to deter any future pro-independence activities by threatening punishment.
Over the past two years, Hong Kong authorities have placed bounties on 19 prominent pro-democracy activists of Hong Kong Dollar (HKD) 1 million ($127,000). The People’s Republic of China (PRC) now appears to be extending similar tactics to its broader hybrid warfare playbook, this time targeting Taiwan’s military personnel. In early June, the Guangzhou Public Security Bureau (PSB) issued a “wanted” notice offering a renminbi (RMB) 10,000 ($1,400) reward for information leading to the apprehension of 20 retired and active personnel in the Information.
Communication, and Electronic Force Command (ICEFCOM; 國防部資通電軍指揮部) of Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence (MND). This marks the first known instance of PRC public security authorities targeting Taiwanese military personnel and so-called “Taiwan independence” (台独) forces through a law enforcement framework. The level of cross-agency coordination involved in the operation far exceeds the norm for local PSB branches. It engaged state and state-affiliated entities across multiple domains, employing mutually reinforcing tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs). Its goal was to erode morale and exert psychological pressure on Taiwan’s military while discrediting its reputation in the public sphere.
No comments:
Post a Comment