Last week China conducted high profile naval and air exercises around Taiwan, firing missiles that landed along its coast. This week, Beijing has been more subtle, using its cyber expertise to circulate commercial satellite images of the home of a Taiwanese ruling party legislator Puma Shen. Taiwanese officials denounced the move as a blatant attempt to intimidate public figures through personal exposure.
Although the images were eventually removed from major social media platforms following pressure from Taiwan’s Ministry of Digital Affairs, the subtle attempt at intimidation underscored that Beijing will stop at nothing to nudge Taiwan or Taiwanese into its way of thinking.
A newly released report by Taiwan’s National Security Bureau (NSB) said the “doxxing” of Puma Shen is part of a larger campaign of digital aggression. According to the NSB’s analysis of China’s cyber operations in 2025, the number of attempted cyberattacks on Taiwan’s critical infrastructure hit an average of 2.63 million per day, more than double figures from two years earlier.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the dissemination of Shen’s personal information as ‘digital authoritarianism’ and an attempt to create a ‘chilling effect’ on Taiwan’s democratic society. They equated the act with transnational repression that breaks international human rights norms.
Analysts say the episode underscores an unsettling trend where Beijing appears to be complementing its conventional military and diplomatic pressure such as live-fire exercises around the island, with much subtle yet pervasive digital tactics aimed at shaping political narratives.
The incident also highlights the risks faced by Taiwanese lawmakers like Shen, who is a frequent target for Beijing. Last year, China labeled him ‘wanted’ for alleged ‘secession-related activities,’ a characterization Taipei dismisses as politically motivated and legally baseless. Shen is also the co-founder of the Kuma Academy, an organization that focuses on civil defence and media literacy to counter Chinese disinformation.
Beyond condemning the act, Taiwan officials have increased Shen’s security and pressed global platforms like Meta to remove harmful content.
The incident signals how cyberspace has become another battleground in the enduring confrontation with Beijing, one where propaganda, legal instruments, and digital incursions reinforce the familiar patterns of geopolitical rivalry.
