Government officials in Taiwan have denied accusations of hacking from China, instead claiming the reverse is true.

The Chinese government says that hacking group Anonymous 64 has been hitting targets in China with cyberattacks, and has released the images of three Taiwanese citizens it claims were members of the group.

Taiwan’s premier, Cho Jung-tai, accused China of spreading fake news as a pretense to attack his nation, which he insisted must ‘respond forcefully’ to the claims, with the government asking the public to report any instances of ‘anti-propaganda sabotage’.

A wider conflict

Defense minister Wellington Koo also claimed China’s accusations were untrue, and that China is the leading power behind hackings across the globe,

“China is the first country when it comes to daily cyberattacks, doing it against Taiwan and countries with similar democratic ideals. They are the real originators,” he said. “As for what they have publicized, the military has the conviction to defend the country and will not shirk from doing so because of this, and nor will it have a chilling effect.”

Taiwan recently accused China of poaching its tech engineers in order to boost efforts to develop and build semiconductors. Since Taiwan is the leading producer of semiconductors, the claims intensified tensions between the nations.

The clashes between the two states are within the global context of a seemingly never ending back and forth between global powers, with cyber attacks, hacking groups, and hardware restrictions.

With tech becoming increasingly vital not just to national security, but to the everyday lives of so many, it’s clear that the race for tech development and cyber security will continue to play a central role in foreign policy going forward.

Via Reuters

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