A suspected hacking group with links to China has escalated its attacks on various organizations in Taiwan as part of intelligence-gathering efforts, a cybersecurity firm has disclosed. The group known as RedJuliett infiltrated around 24 organizations between November 2023 and April of this year, likely aiding in gathering information related to Taiwan's diplomatic ties and technological progress, a report by Recorded Future revealed. RedJuliett exploited vulnerabilities in internet-facing devices like firewalls and virtual private networks (VPNs) to breach targets such as technology companies, government bodies, and educational institutions, as reported by the US cybersecurity company. Furthermore, the group carried out reconnaissance or attempted exploitation on over 70 Taiwanese entities, including several de facto embassies. Recorded Future noted that RedJuliett heavily concentrated its efforts on the technology sector within Taiwan, targeting critical technology firms. These included a semiconductor company and two aerospace companies with ties to the Taiwanese military, among others. While the majority of targets were in Taiwan, the group also compromised entities in other regions, including religious institutions in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and South Korea, and a university in Djibouti. Recorded Future cautioned that Chinese state-sponsored hackers were likely to persist in targeting Taiwan for intelligence operations, emphasizing a focus on exploiting public-facing devices for initial access into a wide array of global targets. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning dismissed the report, criticizing Recorded Future for lacking credibility and professionalism in its assessments of Chinese cyber activities. Amidst claims by China that it does not engage in cyber-espionage and portraying itself as a victim of such activities, tensions between Beijing and Taipei have heightened. Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party has endeavored to elevate the island's presence on the global platform, prompting criticism and legal threats from Beijing regarding advocacy for Taiwanese independence. Taiwanese President William Lai Ching-te condemned Beijing's guidelines imposing the death penalty for pro-independence advocates, asserting that democracy should not be considered a crime, contrary to what he perceives as autocratic practices. Lai, labeled a "separatist" by Beijing, maintained that a formal declaration of independence for Taiwan is unnecessary as the island is already recognized as an independent sovereign entity.