Chinese cyberattacks on Taiwan's key infrastructure rose 6% in 2025 to an average of 2.63 million daily, according to the National Security Bureau. This surge forms part of 'hybrid threats' synchronized with military drills. It supports China's broader aims in technology and politics.
In 2025, Taiwan's National Security Bureau reported that Chinese cyberattacks on key sectors like hospitals, banks, and infrastructure averaged 2.63 million per day. This marked a 6% increase from the previous year and a 113% jump from 2023, when the bureau first began publishing such data. Energy, emergency rescue, and hospitals saw the sharpest year-on-year rises.
The report stated, 'Such a trend indicates a deliberate attempt by China to compromise Taiwan’s crucial infrastructure comprehensively and to disrupt or paralyses Taiwanese government and social functions.' China's 'cyber army' timed operations with 40 'joint combat readiness patrols' involving military planes and ships near Taiwan, escalating attacks on 23 occasions. These aligned with politically sensitive events, such as President Lai Ching-te's first-year speech in May and Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim's address at the European Parliament in November.
Further, 'China’s moves align with its strategic need to employ hybrid threats against Taiwan during both peacetime and wartime.' Attacks included distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) efforts to disrupt daily life, and man-in-the-middle tactics to steal data and infiltrate telecommunications networks. Science parks central to Taiwan's semiconductor industry, including TSMC, were prime targets for stealing advanced technologies. This was 'an attempt to support China’s self-reliance in technology and economic development and prevent China from being put in a disadvantaged position in the US-China technology competition,' the report noted.
China's Taiwan Affairs Office did not respond to requests for comment, and Beijing routinely denies involvement in hacking. Taiwan continues to reject China's sovereignty claims, asserting that the island's future is for its people to decide.
