The Taiwan Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of Justice has revealed that during the recent military exercises conducted by the Communist Party of China circling around Taiwan, there have been multiple false information messages circulating online in coordination with the military drills. These deceptive messages aim to manipulate the perceptions of the Taiwanese people, prompting authorities to caution the public to be vigilant about the security of their social media accounts and verify the authenticity of any information they receive.
On the morning of the 14th, the People’s Liberation Army announced the commencement of the “Joint Sword-2024B” military exercises. The Taiwan Investigation Bureau found false messages on online forums stating, “Our natural gas ship encountered a PLA vessel and turned back, why did the military not respond effectively?” and “At 5 a.m. this morning, the PLA announced the military exercise, apparently the Ministry of National Defense was asleep, the communication troops and the Coast Guard Administration did not have prior knowledge of the relevant information, and even the natural gas ship did not receive any government notification.” These misleading messages are not based on actual events.
The Investigation Bureau in Taiwan pointed out that the misinformation circulating in relation to the Chinese military drills is part of a cognitive warfare strategy targeting the Taiwanese people. Taiwan’s state-owned CPC Corporation has clarified that the rumors of the liquefied natural gas ship being unable to dock due to the PLA military exercises are false.
Preliminary investigations by the Taiwan Investigation Bureau revealed that the IP addresses of the individuals disseminating false information were either obscured or originated from compromised surveillance networks. This tactic mirrors recent incidents where foreign internet armies compromised domestic networks, stole login credentials of widely-used social platforms like Dcard and PTT, and impersonated Taiwanese users to spread misinformation for cognitive manipulation.
The Taiwan Investigation Bureau is advising the public to be cautious about the security of their social media accounts and to verify the authenticity of any information they come across in order to collectively guard against foreign internet armies seeking to manipulate perceptions and disrupt societal stability through the dissemination of false information.
On the 16th, the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee of the Legislative Yuan of the Republic of China invited National Security Bureau Director Tsai Ming-yan and other intelligence agency heads to present a report on “National Intelligence Work and National Security Bureau Operations” and were prepared for questioning. The National Security Bureau’s written report highlighted that post-520, the Chinese Communist Party has intensified its multifaceted coercion and united front tactics against Taiwan, while continuing to expand its capabilities in cyber warfare. Controversial information manipulation tactics include the increased use of internet trolls, fake accounts, and AI technology to engage in cognitive warfare against Taiwan, stirring up controversies on defense and diplomatic issues to deepen public dissatisfaction with the government.