The Chinese Ministry of State Security today (23rd) issued a statement regarding the active international hacker organization “Anonymous64” on the internet in recent years, claiming that the organization is a “Taiwan independence” cyber army and questioning its achievements. Taiwanese experts pointed out that “Anonymous” appears to be more like a transnational hacker organization, and the Chinese Communist Party is deliberately promoting it. “Anonymous” had previously posted a “theory of the country’s demise” criticizing Xi Jinping by the Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on a major Hong Kong propaganda website. However, the organization had also invaded the official website of the Taiwanese Ministry of Economic Affairs in earlier years.
The Chinese Ministry of State Security stated in its article on September 23rd that the hacker organization named “Anonymous64” is a unit under the Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense’s Information Communication Technology Corps. It has been uploading and broadcasting content critical of the political system of the Chinese Communist Party towards mainland China and the Hong Kong-Macau region since this year. The Ministry of State Security claimed to have identified three active-duty personnel from Taiwan, initiating a “criminal investigation” against them and publicly disclosing their names and photos.
The article mentioned that the various feats displayed by “Anonymous64” on social media are actually “heavily exaggerated.” The Chinese Ministry of State Security declared that the attacked websites are mostly counterfeit versions of official websites or long-abandoned “zombie” websites, and some are produced by the organization through photo manipulation. The article concluded by emphasizing opposition to Taiwan independence.
During the Chinese “Double Eleven” period last year, “Anonymous” hacked into websites such as the Wuchang Vocational College of the Chinese Communist Party’s army, changing the homepage picture to the “18 Layers of Hell Accusation List of Xi Jinping,” listing various charges against Xi Jinping. On the 34th anniversary of the June Fourth Incident last year, the hacker organization also breached multiple official websites of the CCP, embedding “Do Not Forget June Fourth” and photos of tanks entering Beijing to suppress protests.
After the closure of this year’s “Two Sessions” of the Chinese Communist Party, the official website of the China Review News Agency, one of the major external propaganda websites, unexpectedly released an article entitled “Excerpts of the Government Work Report of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang” on the night of March 16, directly criticizing the current situation under Xi Jinping’s rule. The article highlighted that the “Chinese economy is beyond redemption” and “people’s lives are unbearable,” aiming to reveal the truth that Xi Jinping concealed during the Two Sessions to the whole world.
Accusing Xi Jinping’s misrule in stern terms, the article even declared that the “nation will perish.” “Anonymous” admitted on the X platform to launching this attack.
Su Ziyun, the director of the Institute of Defense Strategy and Resources at the Taiwan Institute for National Defense and Security Research, stated in an interview with The Epoch Times that the Chinese Ministry of State Security’s targeting of Taiwan is a reaction to specific events. For instance, the United States recently held the final Quad meeting under the Biden administration, once again echoing opposition to any Chinese military force altering the status quo in the Taiwan Strait to ensure peace and openness there. In this context, the Chinese Communist Party combines anti-secession laws to deliberately publicize the cyber army, meeting both external and internal political needs.
Regarding the authenticity of the Taiwanese cyber army publicized by the Chinese Communist Party, Su Ziyun cautioned that it should be approached with caution since it is a unilateral disclosure by the Chinese authorities. With the ease of image synthesis technology today, it is essential not to jump to conclusions hastily.
Sun Guoxiang, an associate professor at the Department of International Affairs and Business at Southern China University in Taiwan, told The Epoch Times that although the Chinese Communist Party listed specific personnel and actions associated with the Taiwanese cyber army, in the context of mutual accusations between the two sides, the credibility of the information remains in doubt.
Public information shows that as early as 2011, “Anonymous” had attacked the Facebook account of Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and had frequently targeted the terrorist organization ISIS in 2015.
Even in July to August 2015, “Anonymous Asia” blocked the official websites of the Taiwanese Presidential Office and Ministry of Education, as well as the websites of the Ministry of Education, Ministry of National Defense, National Academy for Educational Research, and CtiTV, breaching the websites of the Kuomintang, New Party, Taiwanese Ministry of Economic Affairs, and Kuomintang Taipei City Party.
In 2022, the hacker organization “Anonymous” joined in actions protesting against the Russian government, launching cyber assaults on Russian governmental agencies and official media outlets.
Su Zi Yun stated that the actions of “Anonymous” do not align with the Chinese Communist Party’s accusations against Taiwan’s independence. They should be viewed as an international network hacker organization designed to counter authoritarian states like Russia or China that exert control over the internet.
“The Information Communication Technology Corps of the Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense, like the cyber armies of other countries’ defense departments, possesses a certain level of expertise and operates according to international laws and rules when carrying out missions, unlike China’s arbitrary labeling claims,” Su added.
Concerning the hacking of China Review News Agency and the publication of the “Chinese economy beyond redemption” and criticisms of Xi Jinping, Su Zi Yun indicated that the Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense or regular military cyber army would not need to boast about their actions. He believed that the Chinese Ministry of State Security deliberately linked the two events together.
“According to publicly available data from 2021, Taiwan sent its cyber army to the United States to compete against 54 teams from 14 countries. This demonstrates that their strength is formidable since they won the championship,” highlighting the competence of Taiwan in this field.
Sun Guoxiang stated that the Chinese Communist Party’s connection of “Anonymous” with Taiwan independence forces may be linked to political propaganda efforts, trying to associate cyberattacks with Taiwanese separatism to create a hostile image, enhancing internal unity and external hostility. Through this approach, the Chinese Communist Party aims to undermine Taiwan’s international reputation and suppress support for Taiwan independence. Sun believed that such actions were more of a propaganda tool rather than entirely based on concrete facts.
Sun Guoxiang stated that in the Chinese government’s heavily censored environment, cyber organizations like “Anonymous,” regardless of their true identity, may be seen as a way to break the official information monopoly by invading or expressing opposing views. However, their methods may also involve illegal operations, potentially exacerbating political tensions and government suppression, leading to complex discussions on their legality and impact.
Regarding “Anonymous” hacking China Review News Agency and other related Chinese websites last March, posting slogans like “Chinese economy beyond redemption” and “people’s lives are unbearable,” senior researcher Song Guocheng from the Institute of International Relations at National Chengchi University in Taiwan previously told The Epoch Times that such information warfare via cyberattacks, whether conducted by any party against another, represents an abnormal phenomenon. However, in closed societies, individuals use means like these hacks to convey truths unknown to the people, indicating that this may be one of the few methods available.