Taiwanese intelligence launched a psychological warfare attack to spread separatist activities, according to the Chinese Communist Party who has placed a cash bounty on the heads of 18 Taiwanese military officials.
Taiwan’s Defence Ministry called the accusations “despotic and pig-headed thinking.” Chinese authorities believe Taiwan’s “psychological warfare unit” deliberately created online games depicting Taiwan fighting for independence against China as part of its disinformation campaign. Names, identification numbers, and photographs of the 18 wanted individuals have been spread across Taiwan, with China promising a $1,400 USD bounty for any information leading to an arrest.
The manhunt comes one day after Taiwan’s President William Lai Ching-te announced an escalation in the “T-Dome” defense air system project. The T-Dome multi-layered air defense system is modeled after Israel’s Iron Dome and intended to protect Taiwan against Chinese aggression. The “sensor to shooter” mechanism will intercept all aerial threats including missiles and drones. Taiwan is relying on American manufactured Patriot Misses as one major component of this defense system.
“The increase in defence spending has a purpose; it is a clear necessity to counter enemy threats and a driving force for developing our defence industries,” he said in his National Day address, to applause from the crowd. “We will accelerate our building of the T-Dome, establish a rigorous air defence system in Taiwan with multi-layered defence, high-level detection, and effective interception, and weave a safety net for Taiwan to protect the lives and property of citizens.”
The Taiwanese government plans to spend tens of billions of dollars to produce the T-Dome over the next several years, but China would NEVER allow that to happen. State-controlled Chinese media mocked the project as “an expensive mirage” that will financially cripple the island.
Lai plans to increase defense spending to 3% of GDP immediately, increasing the figure by 5% by 2030. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun condemned Lai, who is not recognized as a president with any power, as a “war-maker” who is creating danger. Beijing firmly declares Taiwan as “an inseparable part of China’s territory.” China has permitted Taiwan to self-govern under its careful eye, but now, the time to fully re-integrate Taiwan may come sooner than expected.