Taiwan cyber unit says it will not be intimidated by China bounty offer
Taiwan has repeatedly accused China of staging widespread hacking attacks against it. PHOTO: REUTERS
Taiwan cyber unit says it will not be intimidated by China bounty offer
TAIPEI - Taiwan's cyber forces will not be intimidated by China's threats of a bounty for the arrest of 20 people Beijing says are Taiwanese military hackers, and China's legal system has no jurisdiction on the island, its defence ministry said.
China views democratically-governed Taiwan as its own territory and has over the past five years increased its military and political pressure against the island. Taiwan's government rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims.
Last week, the public security bureau in the Chinese city of Guangzhou said the hackers were part of the Taiwan military's Information, Communications and Electronic Force Command, and published their pictures, names and Taiwan identity card numbers, offering rewards of more than US$1,000 (S$1,280) for their arrest.
On June 11, China's Taiwan Affairs Office said the government will 'pursue the matter to the end, and will not be lenient', using legal channels to 'crack down' on their activities.
Late on June 11, Taiwan's defence ministry's electronic force command said China was continuing to use 'fictitious cyber hacking incidents to distort the facts' and offering cross-border rewards.
According to Taiwan's constitution, China's communist party has no legal jurisdiction over the island and its laws have 'no real binding force' on Taiwan's people, it said in a statement.
'The Chinese communists have invoked their domestic laws and regulations to systematically manipulate public opinion, with the intention of creating long arm jurisdiction and undermining the morale of our military,' it added.
'The officers and soldiers of the Information, Communications and Electronic Force Command will not be affected by this, and will continue to defend the digital frontier and ensure national security through the solid defence of information.'
Taiwan has repeatedly accused China of staging not only widespread hacking attacks against it, but also of spreading fake news via social media and other means to undermine confidence in the government. REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Judge temporarily bars Trump from deploying National Guard troops in Los Angeles
Members of the National Guard on standby during a protest against federal immigration sweeps in Los Angeles on June 12. PHOTO: REUTERS LOS ANGELES - A US judge on June 12 temporarily barred President Donald Trump from deploying National Guard troops in Los Angeles amid protests over stepped-up immigration enforcement, finding that the Guard was unlawfully mobilised by Mr Trump. San Francisco-based US District Judge Charles Breyer ordered the National Guard to return to the control of California Governor Gavin Newsom, who sued to restrict its activity. The order will take effect at noon on June 13. Judge Breyer said the protests in Los Angeles fall far short of 'rebellion'. Mr Trump justified the deployment of troops by qualifying the protests as a rebellion. 'The Court is troubled by the implication inherent in Defendants' argument that protest against the federal government, a core civil liberty protected by the First Amendment, can justify a finding of rebellion,' Judge Breyer wrote. The Trump administration immediately appealed the judge's order. Mr Trump summoned military troops to Los Angeles to support a civilian police operation over the objection of Newsom, an extraordinary and rarely used measure. The ruling came hours after Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem pledged to 'liberate' Los Angeles at a press conference that was dramatically interrupted when federal agents dragged Democratic US Senator Alex Padilla out of the room, forced him to the ground and handcuffed him. The court battle and press conference scuffle underscored the political polarisation generated by Mr Trump's approach to immigration enforcement and use of presidential power. Mr Trump summoned first the National Guard, then the Marines, to help federal police forces guard federal buildings from protesters and to protect federal immigration agents as they pick up suspected violators. Mr Trump has defended his decision, saying if he had not done so the city would be in flames. The protests so far have been mostly peaceful, punctuated by incidents of violence and restricted to a few city blocks. Some 700 US Marines will be on the streets of the city by June 12 or 13, the military has said, to support up to 4,000 National Guard troops. In his ruling, the judge wrote that the presence of the troops in the city was itself inflaming tensions with protesters and depriving the state of California with the ability to use the Guard for other purposes, such as fighting fires and drug smuggling. He noted that Mr Trump's deployment threatened other states as well. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Indonesia police unveil love scam targeting US nationals in Bali
The arrested suspects, all of whom were Indonesians, were suspected to be part of a transnational syndicate operating from Indonesia, Cambodia and the US. PHOTO: EPA-EFE JAKARTA - The Bali police have arrested 38 people allegedly involved in an international romance scam ring that targeted personal information from United States nationals. The arrested suspects, all of whom were Indonesians, were suspected to be part of a transnational syndicate operating from Indonesia, Cambodia and the US. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Philippine ex-leader Duterte seeks release from ICC detention in The Hague
Mr Duterte led the South-east Asian nation from 2016 to 2022 and oversaw a brutal anti-drug crackdown that gave him local popularity. PHOTO: AFP THE HAGUE – Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte has requested the International Criminal Court in The Hague for his interim release, three months after he was arrested for alleged crimes against humanity under his controversial war on drugs. Mr Duterte, 80, is not a flight risk and a certain government has agreed to take him in during the interim release, according to a June 12 request made by his counsel Nicholas Kaufman. Portions of the document, including the name of the country that agreed to host Mr Duterte, were redacted. Mr Duterte led the South-east Asian nation from 2016 to 2022 and oversaw a brutal anti-drug crackdown that gave him local popularity. He overwhelmingly won the race for Davao City mayor – his old post before becoming president – in May's election. 'Mr Duterte will not imperil proceedings if released,' and 'Mr Duterte will not continue to commit crimes,' read the request. 'Mr Duterte is no longer the President of the Philippines, and does not command the same influence or power he is said to have abused during the period of the alleged crimes,' it added. His daughter Sara Duterte is the incumbent vice-president of the Philippines and is the subject of an ongoing impeachment case. She has publicly feuded with former ally, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, whose administration facilitated the arrest and turnover of Mr Duterte to the ICC in March. Bloomberg Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
