Moscow’s cyberattacks preceded any physical control of the Ukrainian region Crimea in 2014, says the Japanese Defence Minister referring to a potential Chinese attack on Taiwan.
Minister Kishi Nobuo's statements came at the joint symposium held on Friday by the U.S. think tank CSIS and Japanese publisher Nikkei.
The Japanese Defence Minister emphasised that “grey zone” tactics employed by China are similar to the indirect strategy used by Russia seizing Crimea.
"An invasion may begin without anyone realizing it, and a war may be fought without the use of military forces,” Kishi said.
His comments come amid increasing international concern over Taiwan’s security after China sent record numbers of aircraft into the country’s air defence identification zone (ADIZ) this month and spoke of the inevitability of so-called “reunification” in official statements.
"Moscow’s actions were illegal, but they began without deploying troops, and cyberattacks preceded any physical control of the region in 2014," the minister stressed.
According to Nikkei, hybrid warfare approaches include disinformation, economic manipulation, use of proxies, insurgencies, diplomatic pressure, and other types.
Panellists at the event spoke about the need for Taiwan, Japan, and neighbouring countries to stand together and deter Chinese aggression.
