TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — China will continue to increase intimidation against Taiwan through various means, defense ministry intelligence officer Huang Ming-chieh (黃明傑) said on Tuesday (Jan. 16).
The Chinese military will continue to increase its intimidation against Taiwan through routine military exercises and patrols, combined with cognitive warfare and grey zone tactics, Huang said, according to RTI. Since New Year's Day, China has continuously engaged in provocative actions, including releasing balloons into Taiwan's airspace, he said.
However, Taiwan’s military can consistently monitor and respond to these incidents appropriately, he added.
Regarding the ministry’s revised graphic of Chinese military activities around the Taiwan Strait, Huang said the change was to clearly depict the movements of China’s military assets, making it easier for the public to focus on and understand the situation around the region.
Defense Ministry spokesperson Shih Li-fang (孫立方) emphasized that Taiwan's national security environment is constantly changing, and the threat from the enemy varies daily, referring to China. The enemy often combines military actions with cognitive warfare, attempting to negatively influence the morale and sentiment of the Taiwanese, Shih said.
Therefore, the defense ministry continuously adjusts the way it publicizes China’s military movements. The goal is to provide information to the public while minimizing the impact on intelligence sources, he said.
The defense ministry tracked 15 Chinese military aircraft and three naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Monday (Jan. 15) and 6 a.m. Tuesday (Jan. 16). It also kept tabs on a Chinese balloon at 2:20 p.m. on Monday 233 km (125 NM) northwest of Pingtung at an altitude of 6,400 m (21,000 ft). It disappeared at 3:09 p.m. on Monday.
