Taiwan’s science and technology minister Simon Chang’s accuses China of waging ‘severe’ cyber attacks on Taiwan frequently, even with improvements in ties across the Taiwan Strait.
Chang, during an interview with the UFO Radio Network said that Taiwanese cyberwar units are being attacked almost every day with some severe attacks every few months. He added that most of the attacks are aimed at stealing information which can be used in negotiations of deals between them, placing Taiwan at a disadvantage.
Director of China’s Taiwan Affairs Office Zhang Zhijun and Taiwan’s minister met to discuss the issue in June this year which was protested by the citizens of the island for reasons that it could lead to further ties with the mainland.
It was the first time in decades that a government official with a ministerial status flew into the island since the end of the civil war in 1949. Though they were archrivals, the countries entered into some deals that surprised the rest of the world, with the landmark Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement signed in June 2010 being the most noteworthy agreement.
China and Taiwan decided to reconcile as President Ma Ying-jeou of Taiwan who was elected in 2008 and maintained the relationship cordial. Ma Ying-jeou of the Kuomintang party was re-elected President in 2012 and has been working on establishing trade and tourism links between the countries.
Notably, the US, a key ally of Taiwan, also regularly accuses China of such attacks, the latest being in May of an attack on the devices of US thinktanks.
