Chinese military exercises conducted last week around Taiwan were part of a strategy designed to counter growing international support for the island and to divert attention from internal economic difficulties. China, according to a report published Wednesday by Taiwan's main security agency.
Dubbed "Mission Justice 2025," these maneuvers involved the firing of dozens of rockets toward Taiwan and the massive deployment of warships and warplanes near the island. The exercises led to the cancellation of numerous domestic flights and raised concerns among Taipei's regional and Western partners.
According to Taiwan's National Security Office, these operations had a "clear political intent": to weaken, on the international stage, the support provided to Taiwan by its partner democracies. The report also suggests that Beijing is seeking to channel discontent stemming from economic setbacks and internal social tensions into a nationalist sentiment presented as opposition to alleged foreign interference.
Taiwanese authorities say China is intensifying what they call "hybrid" pressure, combining military demonstrations, economic coercion, information warfare, and cyberattacks. According to the report, nearly 19,000 controversial messages were posted on social media in five days by hundreds of accounts, while Taiwanese government systems reportedly suffered more than two million cyberattacks during the first few days of the exercises.
Beijing, which claims Taiwan as an integral part of its territory, has rejected these accusations. Chinese authorities maintain that the maneuvers were solely aimed at defending national sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation.
Taiwan, for its part, rejects any claim of sovereignty by China and reaffirms that only the Taiwanese people can decide the future of the island, amid growing regional tensions around the Taiwan Strait.
