TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Chinese hackers may have infiltrated the Republican Party’s email system last year in an attempt to obtain internal information on the party's Taiwan policy.

The Wall Street Journal reported that while the Republican National Committee (RNC) was preparing for its national convention in Milwaukee last year, it was also dealing with a major cybersecurity breach. Journalist Alex Isenstadt reveals this previously unreported hacking incident in his upcoming book, “Revenge: The Inside Story of Trump's Return to Power.”

The Wall Street Journal reviewed an excerpt from the book, which is set to be published next month, and confirmed details of the cyberattack.

The newspaper cited informed sources saying hackers linked to the Chinese government had gained access to the committee’s internal communications. The sources said that in early July last year, Microsoft notified senior Republican officials that hackers had been inside the RNC’s email system for months.

Senior RNC officials suspected the hackers were seeking information on how the party planned to frame its position on Taiwan in its party platform, according to the sources.

The report pointed out that in 2016, the Republican Party’s 60-page platform called for a free-trade agreement with Taiwan. However, by 2024, the platform had been shortened to 16 pages and did not mention Taiwan.