National security officials have suggested an amendment to the Anti-infiltration Act (反滲透法) that would make it illegal to share foreign political propaganda or misinformation under the instruction or assistance of a foreign power, a source said on Tuesday.
The amendment would be a small, but necessary step toward combating Chinese infiltration, which has been identified in politics, industry and the media in Taiwan, the source said, adding that this has been done through the spread of misinformation aimed at increasing Chinese influence in the country.
“For example, if China’s Taiwan Affairs Office were to call the editorial department at a Taiwanese media company and tell them to run a piece of fake news, that is a situation where such an amendment would come into play,” the source said.
The government has made progress on combating misinformation through amendments to the Disaster Prevention and Protection Act (災害防救法), the Food Administration Act (糧食管理法), the Agricultural Products Market Transaction Act (農產品市場交易法) and the Communicable Disease Control Act (傳染病防治法), the source said.
They said that amendments to the Anti-infiltration Act would allow tougher penalties to be levied against those acting under instructions from foreign powers such as the Chinese Communist Party.
However, given the scope of the amendment, a consensus on the issue should be reached across government agencies, the source said.
“The Executive Yuan should lead the way with this and seek public consensus first,” the source said.
The National Security Council has advised an amendment that would append an additional clause to Article 7 of the Anti-infiltration Act, the source said, adding that the amendment would be drafted through discussions between the Democratic Progressive Party caucus and government agencies.
Article 7 stipulates the penalty for those found influencing presidential or public-official elections.
National Chiao Tung University law professor Lin Chih-chieh (林志潔) echoed the need to amend the Anti-infiltration Act, saying that its scope is too limited.
The act should be amended to include all forms of infiltration, including those involving the media, the economy, schools, cultural activities and so on, she said.
Separately, Lo Cheng-chung (羅承宗), director of Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology’s Institute of Financial and Economic Law, said that the act must stipulate harsh punishments for those acting violently under instructions from Beijing.
Citing attacks on Hong Kong democracy advocates in Taiwan, he said that such acts took advantage of the shortcomings of current laws to violate the rights of individuals.
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
UNDER PRESSURE: The report cited numerous events that have happened this year to show increased coercion from China, such as military drills and legal threats The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) aims to reinforce its “one China” principle and the idea that Taiwan belongs to the People’s Republic of China by hosting celebratory events this year for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, the “retrocession” of Taiwan and the establishment of the UN, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said in its latest report to the Legislative Yuan. Taking advantage of the significant anniversaries, Chinese officials are attempting to assert China’s sovereignty over Taiwan through interviews with international news media and cross-strait exchange events, the report said. Beijing intends to reinforce its “one China” principle
A total lunar eclipse, an astronomical event often referred to as a “blood moon,” would be visible to sky watchers in Taiwan starting just before midnight on Sunday night, the Taipei Astronomical Museum said. The phenomenon is also called “blood moon” due to the reddish-orange hue it takes on as the Earth passes directly between the sun and the moon, completely blocking direct sunlight from reaching the lunar surface. The only light is refracted by the Earth’s atmosphere, and its red wavelengths are bent toward the moon, illuminating it in a dramatic crimson light. Describing the event as the most important astronomical phenomenon
RSS