Taiwan has stepped up cybersecurity cooperation with the US and intends to take part in planned cybersecurity exercises, a senior Taiwanese official stationed in Washington said on Thursday.
“Cybersecurity cooperation is an important part of Taiwan-US relations,” Deputy Representative to the US Leo Lee (李澄然) said, adding that this cooperation includes information exchanges and assistance in manpower training.
“Joint training exercises are also good for cooperation and we look forward to taking part in drills being planned by the US authorities,” Lee said.
However, the two sides have yet to formally talk about cooperation in this area, he said.
Representative to the US King Pu-tsung (金溥聰) had lunch with senior officials from the US Department of Homeland Security earlier on Thursday and cybersecurity was one of the issues discussed.
The US government is working to toughen its cybersecurity measures after computer systems at major public institutions and corporations reportedly fell victim to an unprecedented rash of cyberattacks from China-based hackers.
The White House has listed the war against cyberattacks on major US government institutions and large conglomerates as one of its top priorities.
The US Department of State, the US Trade Representative Office and the US Department of Commerce have all begun to draft measures and administrative strategies to minimize the risks of business secrets or classified information being stolen by hackers.
Washington-based security experts and academics have described Chinese cyberattacks against major institutions in the US capital as rampant and ubiquitous, with the targets ranging from law firms, think tanks and media outlets to human rights groups, congressional offices and government agencies.
Lee said the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US pays a great deal of attention to cybersecurity because Taiwan has also been a primary target of Chinese cyberattacks.
Lee said each staff member at the office has two computers, one of which is used for Internet searches, while the other has a physical isolation switch that disconnects it from the Internet.
The arrangement aims to prevent any leaks of sensitive information, Lee said.
Moreover, he said, Taiwan’s security agencies regularly send personnel to the country’s overseas offices to inspect their cybersecurity measures and facilities.
“We spare no effort to ensure cybersecurity,” Lee added.
Taiwan’s passport ranked 34th in the world, with access to 141 visa-free destinations, according to the latest update to the Henley Passport Index released today. The index put together by Henley & Partners ranks 199 passports globally based on the number of destinations holders can access without a visa out of 227, and is updated monthly. The 141 visa-free destinations for Taiwanese passport holders are a slight decrease from last year, when holders had access to 145 destinations. Botswana and Columbia are among the countries that have recently ended visa-free status for Taiwanese after “bowing to pressure from the Chinese government,” the Ministry
Theaters and institutions in Taiwan have received 28 threatening e-mails, including bomb threats, since a documentary critical of China began being screened across the nation last month, the National Security Bureau said yesterday. The actions are part of China’s attempts to undermine Taiwan’s sovereignty, it said. State Organs (國有器官) documents allegations that Chinese government officials engage in organ harvesting and other illegal activities. From last month to Friday last week, 28 incidents have been reported of theaters or institutions receiving threats, including bomb and shooting threats, if they did not stop showing the documentary, the bureau said. Although the threats were not carried out,
HEALTHCARE: Following a 2022 Constitutional Court ruling, Taiwanese traveling overseas for six months would no longer be able to suspend their insurance Measures allowing people to suspend National Health Insurance (NHI) services if they plan to leave the country for six months would be abolished starting Dec. 23, NHIA Director-General Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said yesterday. The decision followed the Constitutional Court’s ruling in 2022 that the regulation was unconstitutional and that it would invalidate the regulation automatically unless the NHIA amended it to conform with the Constitution. The agency would amend the regulations to remove the articles and sections that allow the suspension of NHI services, and also introduce provisional clauses for those who suspended their NHI services before Dec. 23, Shih said. According to
‘GRAY ZONE’ TACTICS: China continues to build up its military capacity while regularly deploying jets and warships around Taiwan, with the latest balloon spotted on Sunday The US is drawing up contingency plans for military deployments in Japan and the Philippines in case of a Taiwan emergency, Japan’s Kyodo news agency reported. They would be incorporated in a first joint operation plan to be formulated in December, Kyodo reported late on Sunday, citing sources familiar with Japan-US relations. A US Marine Corps regiment that possesses High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems — a light multiple rocket launcher — would be deployed along the Nansei Island chain stretching from Kyushu to Yonaguni near Taiwan, Kyodo said. According to US military guidelines for dispatching marines in small formations to several locations,
RSS