Taiwan wary of China exploiting US’ Iran warBy Ben Blanchard and Yimou Lee / Taipei, ReutersTaiwan is concerned that China could exploit the US’ war in the Middle East, with state media citing examples from the conflict to cast doubt on the efficiency of US weapons Taiwan would use to repel an invasion. The longer the war lasts, the more lessons it offers for China regarding US military thinking and response scenarios for a possible Chinese move on Taiwan, he added. US allies in Asia have also warned that the Iran war could sap defenses against China. ‘COGNITIVE WARFARE’Taipei is wary of Beijing using the Middle East war in its “cognitive warfare” propaganda, such as artificial intelligence-generated videos circulating online saying that Taiwan is facing a “devastating” energy supply crisis, the government said in an internal memo. Chinese state media view the Iran war as having implications for conflict with Taiwan, as the nation’s weapons are mainly supplied by the US, despite a lack of formal diplomatic ties.

Source: Taipei Times March 25, 2026 17:13 UTC