Officials are drafting an amendment to the law that governs relations with China in a bid to prevent the theft of technology trade secrets, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday.
The proposed amendment to the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例) would require those whose work involves national core technologies to receive approval from a committee before being permitted to visit China.
Those visiting China without such approval would face a fine of NT$2 million to NT$10 million (US$71,602 to US$358,012) under the proposed amendment, the council said.
The draft amendment is intended to protect the nation’s economic competitiveness and would primarily focus on those working for companies that receive government subsidies or are commissioned by the government to undertake projects, it said.
Those working with core technologies who fall under the amended regulations would continue to require approval for travel to China for up to three years after they leave or are fired by their employer, the council said.
The approval committee would be comprised of members of the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Justice, the National Security Bureau, the Mainland Affairs Council and other government agencies, it said.
The Ministry of Science and Technology would deliberate on the specifics of what is to be designated as a national core technology, it added.
Those granted approval to visit China would need to submit a report upon their return and those failing to do so would be fined between NT$20,000 and NT$100,000, the council said.
“The law already requires government officials and people working with state secrets to receive approval before visiting China. This amendment simply adds those working with core technologies,” a source said yesterday.
“This is to protect national security and the economy. We have to ensure that these core technologies don’t get leaked,” the source said.
National security officials have known for a long time that China is attempting to steal Taiwan’s core technology trade secrets, so it was decided that managing the movement of people in that industry was necessary, the source added.
The proposed amendment is to undergo interagency deliberation before it is sent to the Executive Yuan for approval, the source said.
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