An anti-infiltration bill proposed by the Democratic Progressive Party, which is pushing it through the Legislative Yuan, has met strong opposition from Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and People First Party (PFP) lawmakers, but it is still expected to be passed into law before the end of this year.
The first article of the bill states that the law is intended to prevent infiltration and interference by external enemies; ensure national security and social stability; and maintain the nation’s sovereignty, and its freedom, democracy and constitutional order.
Although no countries are mentioned by name, the phrase “external enemies” is generally understood to refer to the only country that harbors a deep animosity toward Taiwan and covets its territory: China. It is no surprise that the KMT and the PFP, which both maintain frequent and intensive contacts — and act in collusion — with China, are so strongly opposed to the bill.
Red China has been making good use of its Confucius Institutes in combination with individuals, media outlets, non-governmental organizations and political donations to infiltrate academic and political circles in European and North American democracies.
It has used the academic and political freedoms that exist in these democracies to destroy those freedoms.
China’s actions have already been exposed and countermeasures against these institutes have been taken on several occasions, with one Confucius Institute after another being closed down.
Australia has its Espionage and Foreign Interference Act, while the US has the Countering Foreign Propaganda and Disinformation Act and the Foreign Agents Registration Act, and it is pushing for enactment of a countering the Chinese government and Communist Party’s political influence operations act.
In Canada, there is Bill C-76 on campaign advertising transparency, which bans foreign institutions from paying for party campaign advertising.
Last month, the UK parliament issued a report warning that the higher education system was overconfident. It said that higher education institutions in the UK severely underestimate the risk of Chinese interference, and that vigilance and existing response plans in the government and school administrations is clearly insufficient.
Taiwan is on the front line of Chinese expansion and infiltration.
Self-confessed Chinese spy William Wang Liqiang (王立強) said that China is using its cyberarmy and political donations to control Taiwan’s elections.
Was this just empty talk, or is it true, as they say, that where there is smoke, there is fire?
Taiwan has rushed to draft the anti-infiltration bill — better late than never.
Does anyone really oppose it, or is it just people in another nation trying their best to infiltrate Taiwan by all means or traitors working against Taiwan’s best interests by colluding with that country?
Chang Kuo-tsai is a former deputy secretary-general of the Taiwan Association of University Professors and a former National Tsing Hua University professor.
Translated by Perry Svensson
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