China’s Silent Invasion? Experts Warn Beijing Is Plotting Taiwan Spy Operations Like Israel’s Secret War Inside Iran
New Delhi: A alarm has begun to ring in Taiwan. Not in sirens, but in whispers. The kind that come from intercepted texts, missing files and unfamiliar faces in trusted places. Security experts in Taipei are warning that China may already be doing in Taiwan what Israel has done in Iran.
Intelligence veterans are now drawing eerie parallels. The recent targeted killings and sabotage deep inside Iran have shaken defense watchers across the world. But in Taiwan, that shock has turned personal. Analysts here believe Beijing is laying the ground network for something far more long-term and embedded.
They say it starts with people. Soldiers. Retired officers. Even political insiders. Reports show that Chinese operatives have made steady inroads into Taiwan’s military and civilian systems. In some cases, the lines between duty and betrayal have blurred.
One of the most chilling developments? The arrest of four former aides from the Democratic Progressive Party. These were not small names. One of them had access to national security meetings. Another was tied closely to Taiwan’s President William Lai. Prosecutors revealed that encrypted apps were used to send China details of Lai’s overseas visits and even his campaign strategies. Beijing reportedly got hold of sensitive meeting schedules, names of influential figures and records of Lai’s movements.
Taipei’s top analysts believe this is part of a broader pattern. A slow but deliberate construction of a spy network that could be activated in the event of a crisis. It would not require tanks or missiles – just one order and saboteurs already inside could strike radar systems, airports and cyber nodes. Some may already be in position near power plants and command centers.
Max Lo of the Taiwan International Strategic Study Society calls it a “copy-paste” of Israel’s method – surgical, silent and devastating. He says China may attempt to disrupt Taiwan’s chain of command, knowing that a leadership breakdown could paralyse the country’s response in wartime.
What makes Taiwan more vulnerable? Geography. Language. Shared history. Chinese intelligence agents do not always need disguises. They speak the tongue, understand the customs and know the shortcuts. That gives them a head start in infiltration.
Zivon Wang, a defense expert at the Chinese Council of Advanced Policy Studies in Taipei, says that identifying Beijing’s interference in Taiwan is harder than tracking Mossad inside Iran. The signs are quieter. The consequences could be just as deadly.
Alexander Huang, a professor at Tamkang University, says Taiwan must learn from Iran. Last weekend, he told local media that Israel’s bunker-buster bombs did not only hit buildings, they hit specific bedrooms. That level of accuracy, he said, is only possible with deep and embedded intelligence.
The stakes are rising. Since President Lai’s swearing-in, China has increased its military presence near Taiwan. Drones, warships and flyovers have become frequent. Lai has called China a “hostile foreign force”. Beijing has not held back either. It still sees Taiwan as a breakaway province and refuses to rule out taking it by force.
The United States continues to tread a fine line. It does not formally recognise Taiwan as a sovereign state. But under the Taiwan Relations Act, it has committed to helping the island defend itself. That help could be tested sooner than expected.
As the world watches the flashpoints in the Middle East, Taiwan braces for a conflict that may already be unfolding. Not on a battlefield. But in hard drives, chat groups, office drawers and in shadows no one notices until it is too late.
