According to the president of the island, China’s military is deploying drones more frequently to exert pressure on Taiwan, which is in addition to its arsenal of intimidating tactics, which also includes “cognitive warfare” and invasions by warplanes and ships. Although the term “cognitive warfare” is relatively new, the idea behind it has been around for years. Tzeng wrote on China’s ongoing attempts to dissuade the island’s separatists last month in the institute’s annual report on China’s political and military growth.
According to Tzeng, liberal democracies that guarantee the free flow of information, like Taiwan, are exposed to cognitive attacks by China while democrats find it challenging to launch a counterattack due to China’s strictly regulated media and internet environment.
Photo by: NurPhoto
Taiwan’s president Tsai Ing-wen declared that the Chinese government’s threat to seize Taiwan, which it regards as a province, continues
Tsai stated that in addition to the regular intrusions by Chinese aircraft and ships, China also engaged in cognitive warfare, employing false information to disrupt people’s minds as well as the use of drones.
The remark, given to soldiers on Tuesday during live-fire drills, was made one day after Taiwan’s defence ministry reported for the first time on daily PLA incursions on the flight path of a Chinese military drone.
Taiwan’s defence ministry reported on Monday that nine PLA aircraft, including a BZK-007 reconnaissance drone, had entered Taiwan’s air defence identification zone (ADIZ). It was the first time the ministry had made the flight path of a drone public.
The Japanese Ministry of Defense has recently discovered and officially disclosed PLA drone activity to the east of Taiwan. Since the Taiwanese government did not at first report them, there was some conjecture that either they had not been discovered or that the ministry was withholding the information.
Following several days of drones flying over military installations on Kinmen Island, Taiwan’s defence ministry last week claimed that soldiers had shot down a Chinese civilian drone. Shortly after ordering the military to take “strong countermeasures” against what she called Chinese provocations, Tsai ordered the shooting to occur.
The budget for defence for the upcoming year includes anti-drone defences. As it gets more prepared for a Chinese attack or invasion, Taiwan is planning to increase its defence spending by 12.9%, or around 2.4% of GDP.
The US Biden administration revealed a $1.1 billion arms deal with Taiwan last week, which included a $655 million logistics assistance package for Taiwan’s air defence warning monitoring radar program. According to the state department, another $355 million went into Harpoon air-to-sea missiles and $85 million for Sidewinder air-to-air missiles.
In reaction, China’s defence ministry accused the United States of “creating difficulties” and demanded it cancels the sale, which is certain to gain the necessary congressional clearance.
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Taiwan began military drills on Tuesday on the Hengchun Peninsula in the far south of the island, simulating ground combat against an invading enemy with the assistance of Apache assault helicopters.
At the site of the drills, Lt. Col. Jing Feng-huang told reporters, “We will continue to have the mentality of being prepared for war.” “We won’t run from conflict, but we also won’t go looking for it.”
The exercises started with snipers aiming at targets, then two Apaches launched missiles at targets on the hillside. Additionally, soldiers used Javelin anti-tank weapons, which have proven to be very successful against Russian armour in the Ukraine conflict, which some have compared to a future Chinese attack on Taiwan. They also fired rounds from M109 howitzers and 105mm armoured vehicle assault guns.
On Wednesday, there will be joint drills with Taiwan’s air force as part of the exercises.
