Official highlights new Chinese warfare undermining Taiwan's democracy

Taipei, March 28 (CNA) Deputy Interior Minister Ma Shih-yuan (馬士元) said Saturday that China is using what he described as "dislocation warfare" and "erosion warfare" to undermine the foundations of Taiwan's democracy and freedom.

Speaking at the opening of the 2026 Taiwan Civil Defense Convention hosted by Kuma Academy, Ma said that, in addition to public opinion, psychological and legal warfare, Beijing is deploying two new methods to disrupt Taiwan's democratic system.

The first is "dislocation warfare," he said, referring to efforts to distort the proper functioning of democratic institutions.

As for "erosion warfare," Ma said China uses various proxies to gradually undermine Taiwan's democratic and free system, a challenge that requires vigilance.

He noted that such efforts can be difficult to counter, as authorities risk being accused of "McCarthyism" or of creating internal enemies.

To better respond to China's hybrid coercion, Ma said the Ministry of the Interior has in recent years emphasized "interoperability," marking a shift from traditional defense approaches to integrating government and civilian capabilities.

In the past, the military, police, firefighting and civil defense systems operated independently with little coordination, he said, but global developments since 2022 have made interoperability a core concept in promoting civil defense.

Ma stressed that the government's current efforts are aimed at safeguarding Taiwan's democratic system, ensuring that its economy, political system and religious freedoms can continue to exist and develop freely under the threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party, which he described as a regime with "fascist" characteristics.

Meanwhile, Kuma Civil Defense Education Association Chairperson Liu Wen (劉文) said the academy is shifting its focus from individual-based, decentralized training to engaging groups and institutions, with the aim of integrating expertise from the public sector, civil society and various professional fields into a resilient, nationwide civil defense network.

The two-day event opened Saturday morning and was attended by Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴), Deputy Foreign Minister François Wu (吳志中) and National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Lii Wen (李問).