DEFENSE / NSB chief dismisses Chinese bounties as 'cognitive warfare'

Taipei, Oct. 15 (CNA) Taiwan's top intelligence chief on Wednesday dismissed as "cognitive warfare" a series of bounties issued by a Chinese provincial government seeking information on the activities of alleged Taiwanese psychological operations officers.

National Security Bureau (NSB) Director-General Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) told a legislative session in Taipei that the notices, which offered cash rewards for leads on 18 purported members of the Taiwanese military's psychological warfare unit, mixed publicly available information with falsehoods.

According to Tsai, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) issues such notices on specific dates -- this time, after National Day on Oct. 10 -- as part of its coercion tactics targeting Taiwan.

In a public notice issued on Oct. 11, the Chinese city of Xiamen's public security bureau published photographs, names and the Taiwanese identity card numbers of what it said were 18 "core members" of the Taiwanese military's "psychological warfare unit."

It offered a reward of 10,000 yuan (US$1,400) to anyone who could provide clues about their activities and help in their arrest for alleged "separatist activities."

"But I have to reiterate that many of the photos and information are incorrect," Tsai said.

China has previously issued similar bounties on June 5 for the arrest of 20 so-called Taiwanese military hackers.

Tsai told lawmakers Wednesday that the NSB has for years been bolstering its protection of NSB members' identities.

However, other national security units, such as those under the Ministry of Defense (MND), regularly publish information regarding their staff following personnel changes, such as transfers or promotions, he said.

Such public information will likely be collected by the CCP for psychological warfare purposes, Tsai added.

The NSB chief said it is in talks with the MND and other national intelligence units to ensure they use "de-identification," the process used to prevent someone's personal identity from being revealed, as a privacy-preserving technique for their employees.