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U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan on Aug. 2-3 resulted in more than 270 cases of misinformation attacks -- likely from China, according to Taiwan's National Defense Ministry.   © Nikkei montage/Source photos by Reuters, Getty Images
Asia Insight

Cyber warfare: China attacks force Taiwan to bolster defenses

Power plants, hospitals and other essential facilities seen as possible targets

THOMPSON CHAU, Contributing writer, and CHENG TING-FANG, Nikkei staff writer | Taiwan

TAIPEI -- In the wake of heightened Chinese aggression, Taiwan is beefing up its military capabilities, including raising defense spending by 15% next year. But pressure is also growing on Taiwan to build resilience to another kind of warfare that could wreak devastating damage -- cyberattacks.

The government and companies were targets of such attacks in connection with the controversial visit of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi at the beginning of August. Customers in 7-Eleven stores saw bulletin messages reading "Warmonger Pelosi, get out of Taiwan." And electronic billboards were hijacked across Taiwan -- one calling her an "old witch" whose visit is a "serious provocation to the sovereignty of the motherland."

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