The Japanese government has identified what it describes as a large-scale cognitive warfare campaign orchestrated by China in response to recent remarks by Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi regarding Taiwan, according to a report by the Yomiuri Shimbun.
The campaign, which Japanese security analysts say bears the hallmarks of coordinated information operations, emerged after Takaichi made comments about Japan's security interests in the Taiwan Strait during a policy speech earlier this month. The minister's remarks aligned with Tokyo's increasingly vocal stance that stability across the strait is essential to Japanese national security.
Cognitive warfare—the term for information operations designed to manipulate perceptions and influence decision-making—represents an escalation in China's hybrid warfare toolkit. Unlike traditional disinformation campaigns that simply spread false information, cognitive warfare aims to shape how entire populations understand geopolitical realities, exploiting cultural and psychological vulnerabilities.
Japanese government officials told the Yomiuri that the campaign involved coordinated messaging across multiple platforms, including social media amplification, state media coverage, and what appeared to be inauthentic accounts attacking Takaichi's credibility and distorting her statements. The operation sought to portray Japan as interfering in China's "internal affairs" and to drive a wedge between Tokyo and Washington.
"This represents a significant escalation in how Beijing responds to Japanese officials' statements on Taiwan," a senior Japanese foreign ministry official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "We're seeing more sophisticated, coordinated attempts to shape the information environment."
