Taipei [Taiwan] October 6 : Chinese ships are broadcasting false signals in Taiwan's territorial waters as a method of cognitive warfare, assessing Taiwan's reactions to various types of intrusions, Taipei Times reported, citing a report by the Institute for the Study of War published.
Earlier, several Chinese fishing vessels emitted counterfeit automatic identification system (AIS) signals in Taiwan's waters, with one imitating a Russian warship and another pretending to be a Chinese law enforcement vessel, the report indicated.
The report referenced data from Starboard Maritime Intelligence, revealing that throughout August and the previous month, the Chinese fishing boat Min Shi Yu 06718 navigated through the Taiwan Strait while periodically sending out its own AIS and that of a vessel named Hai Xun 15012, as reported by Taipei Times.
Hai Xun vessels are typically operated by the China Maritime Safety Administration (CMSA), a civilian law enforcement body that has not played a significant role in China's coercive actions against Taiwan, the report stated. This makes it more plausible that a fishing vessel was impersonating a CMSA ship, rather than vice versa, the report explained.
On September 17, another fishing vessel, Min Shi Yu 07792, sent a counterfeit signal of Russian Warship 532 in Taiwan's northern exclusive economic zone, according to the report.
It further detailed that several other Min Shi Yu boats also transmitted false AIS signals in the same timeframe and location, with one masquerading as a tugboat and another as a different fishing vessel, according to the Taipei Times report.
China appears to be experimenting with AIS spoofing to "contaminate Taiwan's information environment and assess Taiwan's reactions to different types of perceived intrusions," according to the report.
The fact that several fishing vessels with similar names issued various false signals in close temporal and spatial proximity indicates a coordinated strategy, it added.
These fishing boats are likely part of the Chinese Maritime Militia, a force that China frequently uses for "conducting deniable 'gray zone' coercion, harassment, and surveillance" in both the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea, the report further stated.
Additionally, from September 15 to 17, Chinese Coast Guard vessels entered restricted waters around Kinmen County on four occasions, as highlighted by the Taipei Times report.
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