The specter of strained Sino-U.S. relations is gripping security experts ahead of a meeting between Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Experts say that Chinese military expansion in recent years means that a conflict over Taiwan would no longer be limited to jets and missiles, and the US has become more susceptible to cyber attacks. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Jen Easterly warns that Chinese cyber-attacks are “designed to incite chaos and panic across our country and deter our ability to marshal military might and citizen will,” and a successful repelling of these strikes could potentially dissuade Beijing from continuing towards Taiwan. In past years, state-sponsored Chinese hackers covertly infiltrated US government and business networks, leading Charles Carmakal, Mandiant’s chief technology officer, to struggle to identify the full scope of these threats. US officials warn that China “represents the broadest, most active, and persistent cyber espionage threat to U.S. government and private-sector networks.” China reportedly intends to develop world-class armed forces by 2027, which experts identify as the date that China intends to militarily capture Taiwan. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, who arrived in California on 27 April, is working to shore up Taiwan’s most important ally and its commitment to defend against a Chinese invasion. The US President Joe Biden promised to intervene during a 60 Minutes interview last year.
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