Position of Hybrid Warfare in China’s Territorial Integration: A Case Study of Taiwan

Efforts to create a unified land and reclaim historical borders are important and strategic principles in the foreign policy of the People's Republic of China. Taiwan, as one of the regions separated from the motherland, has always been one of the main goals of this country in the direction of territorial integrity, and in the meantime, China has used various policies to implement this approach. It has been a land. However, the current research seeks to answer the question of what tactics China has used in line with the combined war against Taiwan. The findings of the research show that cyber attacks, attempts at international isolation, and media warfare have been China's most important tactics against Taiwan in the direction of territorial integrity. The current research is explanatory and uses the conceptual framework of combined warfare. The method of collecting materials is library type, and the territorial integrity of China is the independent variable and the combined war is the dependent variable of the article.

Introduction

This essay examines the role of hybrid warfare in the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) territorial integrity strategy, with a particular focus on the case of Taiwan. The pursuit of national unity—not only a political imperative but an expression of historical and ancestral bonds—remains a non-negotiable objective for the PRC's leadership and political elite. Amid various strategies to achieve this unification, hybrid warfare emerges as a particularly prominent and nuanced tool, underscoring China’s strategic efforts to reclaim and consolidate its territorial claims. Hybrid warfare, as executed by the PRC, converges both military and non-military operations, integrating advanced technology and psychological warfare to address both tangible and intangible battlefields. The facets of this complex form of warfare include a significant cyber component, wherein China employs sophisticated digital attacks aimed to undermine Taiwan's cybersecurity infrastructure, focusing on governmental and administrative targets, disrupting critical services, and sowing uncertainty.

Theoretical Framework

The present study has employed the hybrid warfare conceptual framework. Hybrid warfares are on of the most momentous means and procedures to attain political goals through either vandalism or non-violent acts. Taking this strategy, a part of the activities are clandestine and another part accurs through approaches including intimidation and pressing the considered actor. Technological alterations in techniligical revolutions have led to the improvement of the position of hybrid warfares in military and political conflict. in other words, many international actors take advantage of this strategy due to the reasons such as low costs and high effectiveness. on the other hand, technological trends have caused hybrid warfares to have specific position in the military and security literature considerably, followed by plenty of weak and powerful governments.

Methodology

The present study can be catagorized as explanatory. Explanatory is methodology research by which processes, events and relationship between structures can be elucidated. In this kind of study is attempted to achieve the reason behind issues by exact interperation of date and effective factors of phenomena. Explanatory research is evaluated to attain a more profound comprehension of social, political and psychological subject. In the present study, first variable and the key concept will be explained based on a conceptual framework. After that, the date which are mainly based on library resource, articles and valid foreign website, will be clarified and finally, the research results will be presented.

Results & Discussion

Hybrid warfare, as executed by the PRC, converges both military and non-military operations, integrating advanced technology and psychological warfare to address both tangible and intangible battlefields. The facets of this complex form of warfare include a significant cyber component, wherein China employs sophisticated digital attacks aimed to undermine Taiwan's cybersecurity infrastructure, focusing on governmental and administrative targets, disrupting critical services, and sowing uncertainty.
The media component integrates social engineering and narrative control to sway public opinion in China's favor, targeting Taiwanese leaders and policies to erode their legitimacy. This is particularly manifest in the use of state-controlled news outlets and social media platforms to spread disinformation and propaganda, thus advancing Beijing's geopolitical agenda and fostering a cognitive war aimed at weakening Taiwanese resistance and influence. Diplomacy also plays a crucial role in hybrid warfare, with China working to isolate Taiwan internationally. This essay analyses China's efforts to leverage its diplomatic ties and economic influence to limit Taiwan's participation in global institutions and multilateral agreements. The strategic exclusion of Taiwan from key international dialogues serves not only to weaken Taiwan's diplomatic standing but also to reinforce China's narrative of a singular Chinese state. Economically, China wields substantial influence, implementing embargoes and trade sanctions to exert pressure on Taiwan's economy. These actions reflect an economic statecraft aimed at coercing Taiwan into political and commercial subservience. China's trade policies towards Taiwan are characterized by calculated efforts to undermine Taiwanese businesses, particularly within the agricultural and commercial sectors, posing a significant threat to the island's economic independence and prosperity

Conclusion

Finally, the essay concludes that the PRC's approach to hybrid warfare against Taiwan represents a microcosm of China's broader strategy to assert its authority and rearticulate its historical vision for unification in the modern context. As China continues to fortify its position as a global superpower, it is simultaneously reinforcing its claim to territories it considers integral to its sovereignty, employing hybrid warfare as a potent instrument of statecraft that stands to have enduring implications for regional stability and international power structures.
 
 
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