A report by the Washington-based Global Taiwan Institute (GTI) warned that Taiwan faces an increasing threat from Chinese espionage and urged the government to impose tougher penalties on those found guilty.
The report, “Chinese Communist Party Covert Operations Against Taiwan,” highlights the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) growing influence operations, and their impact on Taiwan’s security and democracy.
“No other democracy faces the same scale of foreign threat to its integrity and independence as Taiwan,” the report said. “The malign intentions and influence operations directed by the CCP and the threat it poses and harm it causes to Taiwan’s democratic society is real.”
Photo: Reuters
The report said that CCP espionage falls into three major areas — intelligence operations, cyberspace operations and “united front” work.
The GTI recommended that Taiwan implement harsher penalties for espionage.
“Additional sentencing enhancements could be legislated for offenses that have wider political consequences or threaten the wider integrity of the Taiwanese government,” the report said.
The report cited an example in which government officials convicted of national security-related offenses could face heavier sentences if they recruit other officials or military officers into spy rings or connect them with China’s intelligence and “united front” organs.
The report also suggested that Taiwan establish legal frameworks similar to those in the US and the UK, requiring individuals acting on behalf of a foreign entity to register, which would involve publicly disclosing their activities and affiliations to enhance transparency.
The report further recommended criminalizing unregistered agents of foreign powers, adding that in the US, many spies have been prosecuted under this provision.
The burden of proof would be to demonstrate the individual’s actions were directed by a foreign power, not necessarily a threat to national security.
Meanwhile, the think tank recommended that Taiwan strengthen its security vetting through a unified national security clearance system to hold government employees to a higher standard.
The report said that such a system would help different government branches handle sensitive national security matters.
President William Lai (賴清德) earlier this month announced that the government would seek to reinstate the military trial system to handle military-related criminal cases involving active-duty service personnel amid increasing Chinese attempts to infiltrate the military.
Lai’s measures against Chinese espionage also included tightening restrictions on Chinese tourists, Chinese residents and civil servants.
The Mainland Affairs Council yesterday said in response that current national security regulations are indeed insufficient.
The council would continue to examine regulations along with agencies to find out whether there are loopholes that would affect the practical enforcement of law, it said.
Expert opinions from various fields would also be collected to facilitate discussion about legal amendments with national security and public welfare in mind, the council said.
National Taiwan University Department of Political Science associate professor Chen Shih-min (陳世民) said that Taiwan has already been largely infiltrated by China’s “united front” tactics.
Taiwan must develop an awareness of “fighting against China to safeguard Taiwan” that defines Beijing as an enemy, otherwise it would not be able to counter Chinese infiltration, he said.
The government should consider establishing an act governing “external hostile force agents,” following similar examples of the US, Australia or Canada, to impose strict regulations for Beijing’s agents, and stipulate potential contraventions and corresponding penalties, Chen said.
Additional reporting by Chen Yu-fu
TRAGEDY STRIKES TAIPEI: The suspect died after falling off a building after he threw smoke grenades into Taipei Main Station and went on a killing spree in Zhongshan A 27-year-old suspect allegedly threw smoke grenades in Taipei Main Station and then proceeded to Zhongshan MRT Station in a random killing spree that resulted in the death of the suspect and two other civilians, and seven injured, including one in critical condition, as of press time last night. The suspect, identified as a man surnamed Chang Wen (張文), allegedly began the attack at Taipei Main Station, the Taipei Fire Department said, adding that it received a report at 5:24pm that smoke grenades had been thrown in the station. One man in his 50s was rushed to hospital after a cardiac arrest
SAFETY FIRST: Double the number of police were deployed at the Taipei Marathon, while other cities released plans to bolster public event safety Authorities across Taiwan have stepped up security measures ahead of Christmas and New Year events, following a knife and smoke bomb attack in Taipei on Friday that left four people dead and 11 injured. In a bid to prevent potential copycat incidents, police deployments have been expanded for large gatherings, transport hubs, and other crowded public spaces, according to official statements from police and city authorities. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said the city has “comprehensively raised security readiness” in crowded areas, increased police deployments with armed officers, and intensified patrols during weekends and nighttime hours. For large-scale events, security checkpoints and explosives
A car bomb killed a senior Russian general in southern Moscow yesterday morning, the latest high-profile army figure to be blown up in a blast that came just hours after Russian and Ukrainian delegates held separate talks in Miami on a plan to end the war. Kyiv has not commented on the incident, but Russian investigators said they were probing whether the blast was “linked” to “Ukrainian special forces.” The attack was similar to other assassinations of generals and pro-war figures that have either been claimed, or are widely believed to have been orchestrated, by Ukraine. Russian Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, 56, head
PUBLIC SAFETY: The premier said that security would be tightened in transport hubs, while President Lai commended the public for their bravery The government is to deploy more police, including rapid response units, in crowded public areas to ensure a swift response to any threats, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday after a knife attack killed three people and injured 11 in Taipei the previous day. Lai made the remarks following a briefing by the National Police Agency on the progress of the investigation, saying that the attack underscored the importance of cooperation in public security between the central and local governments. The attack unfolded in the early evening on Friday around Taipei Main Station’s M7 exit and later near the Taipei MRT’s Zhongshan
RSS