TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) on Thursday announced a comprehensive 17-point strategy to counter China’s efforts to undermine Taiwan’s sovereignty.
“China has undeniably become what our Anti-Infiltration Act defines as a ‘hostile foreign force,’” Lai said at a Presidential Office press conference.
Beijing is infiltrating Taiwan’s military through espionage and uses cross-strait exchanges as a means of conducting united front operations, he said. “We have no choice but to take more proactive measures.”
The multi-faceted plan calls for numerous changes to government approaches and regulations but four measures stand out in particular:
- Restoring the military court system
Military judges should be reinstated and work with judicial and investigative agencies to handle military personnel involved in crimes such as treason, espionage, and leaking state secrets, Lai said. In the future, active-duty military personnel committing offenses under the Criminal Code of the Armed Forces will be tried in military courts.
Lai also recommended the Ministry of National Defense introduce amendments to the Criminal Code of the Armed Forces concerning penalties for expressing allegiance to China. This will prevent further acts and statements that severely damage military morale, he said.
2. Risk management for Chinese visitors to Taiwan
Lai said the approval process for Chinese visitors to Taiwan should focus on fostering normal cross-strait exchanges while ensuring mutual respect and dignity. Chinese individuals with united front affiliations should be barred from entering Taiwan, and activities suspected to be united front tactics should be prohibited, he said.
3. Global advocacy against Chinese threats to Taiwan
The National Security Council and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should form a plan to cooperate with democratic partners in conveying Taiwan's resolve to counter China's attempts at annexation, Lai said. This will serve to block China's efforts to erase Taiwan’s presence in the international community and undermine its sovereignty, he said.
4. Strengthening legal frameworks
To enforce these measures, Lai urged government agencies to review and amend relevant laws, including the National Security Act, and the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area. Public communication and legal reforms should be expedited, he said.
The president reaffirmed Taiwan’s commitment to “protecting national sovereignty” and upholding the democratic and free way of life. He also called on the public to refrain from spreading Chinese state propaganda and to expose united front collaborators.
“If every citizen plays their part in Taiwan’s prosperity and security, working together with a common goal, nothing can defeat us,” Lai said.
This plan comes as two Air Force officers admitted to providing confidential information on Taiwan’s Hsiung Feng III missile operations. One of them is believed to have forwarded the secrets to Chinese intelligence personnel.
However, Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄) said on Thursday the information was mostly scholarly research from before Hsiung Feng III research and development began.
