Taiwan Says China’s War Games Were Meant to Weaken Global Support and Shift Focus From Its Own Problems

Post by : Saif Nasser

Taiwan has said that China’s recent large-scale military exercises around the island were carefully planned to weaken growing international support for Taiwan and to divert attention from economic and social challenges inside China. The claim was made in a new report by Taiwan’s National Security Bureau that was presented to lawmakers.

According to the report, the military drills, known as “Justice Mission 2025,” were not routine exercises. Taiwan believes they carried a clear political message and were timed to respond to increased backing for Taiwan from democratic countries around the world.

During the drills, China fired dozens of rockets toward areas near Taiwan and sent a large number of warships and military aircraft close to the island. The size of the exercises caused serious disruption, including the cancellation of dozens of domestic flights in Taiwan. The drills also raised concern among neighboring countries and Western allies, who closely monitor security in the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwan’s security agency said these were China’s most extensive war games so far in terms of the area covered. The report stated that Beijing wanted to push back against growing international support for Taiwan, especially from the United States, Japan, and Europe. At the same time, it said China was trying to redirect public frustration at home, linked to economic slowdown and social pressures, into nationalist feeling by highlighting external threats.

The report described China’s actions as part of a broader “hybrid” campaign. This approach combines military pressure with economic measures, cyberattacks, and information warfare. Taiwan said China has increased these combined efforts to place constant pressure on the island while testing the reactions of other democratic nations.

The report also referred to comments made last year by Japan’s prime minister, who warned that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could pose a serious threat to Japan itself. Taiwan said this shows that tensions in the Taiwan Strait are now widely seen as a key issue for regional and global security, not just a cross-strait matter.

China rejected Taiwan’s claims. At a regular press briefing, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said the drills were aimed at defending national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Beijing said the exercises were meant to protect what it calls the shared interests of people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

China continues to claim Taiwan as part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to bring the island under its control. Taiwan strongly rejects this claim, saying it is a self-governing democracy and that only its people have the right to decide their future.

The report also warned that China used information warfare during the drills. Taiwan said Chinese state media, artificial intelligence-generated content, and coordinated online accounts were used to spread messages meant to weaken trust in Taiwan’s military and government. These efforts also aimed to damage confidence in Taiwan’s president and its close relationship with the United States.

According to the report, nearly 19,000 controversial messages were posted by hundreds of accounts across social media platforms in just five days. During the same period, Taiwan faced a sharp rise in cyberattacks. On the first two days of the drills alone, government systems were targeted by more than two million cyberattacks. Taiwan linked some of this activity to hacking groups believed to be connected to China’s military.

Taiwan said China has increasingly synchronized cyberattacks with military exercises to disrupt digital systems and weaken public morale. China has repeatedly denied involvement in hacking operations.

From an editorial perspective, the report highlights how modern conflicts are no longer limited to traditional military action. Information control, cyber operations, and political messaging now play a major role. The situation in the Taiwan Strait remains one of the world’s most sensitive flashpoints, with risks that could affect regional stability and global security.