Taiwan’s National Security Bureau (NSB) said Thursday that more than two million cyberattacks targeted Taiwan’s digital infrastructure during China’s large-scale “Justice Mission 2025” military drills around the island at the end of last year. The agency told lawmakers that, alongside air and naval maneuvers, Beijing deployed disinformation and cognitive warfare tactics, spreading nearly 20,000 false or misleading messages online. 

The Defense Ministry said China launched the drills between Dec. 29 and 31, claiming they were in response to Washington’s approval of a US$11.1 billion arms sale to Taipei. Chinese forces dispatched 210 warplanes, 17 navy ships, and eight coast guard vessels in operations such as “joint air‑sea combat patrols” and “blockade control.” Officials said Beijing combined legal, psychological, and information warfare to undermine morale in Taiwan.  

Lt. Gen. Lien Chih‑wei(連志威), the ministry’s deputy chief of Operations and Planning, said the military is maintaining a high level of readiness. “Taiwan’s Armed Forces adhere to the principle of ‘not escalating conflict nor provoking disputes,’ while continuing to strengthen joint operations training to stay calm and prepared for any threat from the PLA,” he said.  

National Security Bureau Deputy Director Chien Hua‑ching (簡華慶) said Chinese cyber forces launched 2.08 million attacks on Dec. 29 alone, rising to 2.09 million the next day. He added that Beijing used Chinese and English announcements about no‑sail and no‑fly zones, along with live‑fire drills, to spread fear and test Taiwan’s resilience.