The bounties are largely symbolic because China has no law-enforcement capabilities in the self-run archipelago of 23 million people and members of Taiwan’s military rarely travel to China. The reward offer does underscore Beijing’s disdain for Lai, who it views as moving to formalize Taiwan’s independence.
China placed a bounty on cyberwarriors working for Taiwan’s Defense Ministry, extending its campaign to squeeze President Lai Ching-te.
Police in the southern city of Guangzhou were seeking the arrest of 20 people in Taiwan’s cybersecurity command, the official Xinhua News Agency said on Thursday. A reward of 10,000 yuan ($1789) was offered for each person due to “thousands of large-scale cyberattacks” on government departments and companies in China, Hong Kong and Macau.
Taiwan’s Information, Communications and Electronic Force Command said in a statement that the accusation it conducted such cyberattacks was untrue. Its mission was to protect national defense information and ensure the archipelago’s internet security, the command said.
