Taiwan’s President Unveils Sweeping Security Overhaul to Counter Beijing’s United Front Infiltration

"Military, both active-duty and retired, have been bought out by China, sold intelligence, or even organized armed forces with plans to harm their own nation and its citizens": President Lai

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has announced a sweeping set of national security measures in response to what he calls an intensifying campaign by China to undermine Taiwan’s sovereignty, infiltrate its military, establish a shadow army within the population by leveraging organized crime, and manipulate its society through psychological and media warfare. The 17-point strategy, revealed at a high-level national security meeting on Thursday, represents Taipei’s most expansive society-level response to date against Beijing’s growing pressure.

Lai warned that China’s united front social networks on Taiwanese soil now "satisfy the definition of a foreign hostile force" under Taiwan’s Anti-Infiltration Act, necessitating an "even more proactive response."

"China’s ambition over the past several decades to annex Taiwan and stamp out the Republic of China has not changed for even a day," President Lai stated, adding that Beijing’s "united front infiltration of Taiwan’s society grows ever more serious."

“A number of citizens have expressed similar concerns to me,” Lai said. “They have noticed cases in which members of the military, both active-duty and retired, have been bought out by China, sold intelligence, or even organized armed forces with plans to harm their own nation and its citizens.”

The government has identified five critical areas where China poses a direct threat to Taiwan’s security and democratic institutions. These include threats to national sovereignty through military and political coercion, infiltration and espionage targeting Taiwan’s military, efforts to obscure the national identity of the Taiwanese people, united front infiltration into Taiwanese society via cross-strait exchanges, and the use of economic incentives to attract Taiwanese businesspeople and youth in ways that serve Beijing’s interests.

Among the most significant policy shifts, the administration will overhaul military and national security laws, increase public awareness of travel risks to China, and impose tighter restrictions on exchanges with Chinese individuals and organizations. To combat espionage and internal threats, the government will restore the military trial system for cases involving sedition, intelligence leaks, and other security breaches by active-duty personnel. Military judges will be reintegrated into frontline judicial processes to collaborate with prosecutors in high-risk cases.

Lai’s announcement marks a shift in Taiwan’s approach, with new legal measures likely to attract significant criticism in some quarters as a retreat from democratic values. Ironically, these policies come amid increasing incidents of so-called "gray-zone" warfare tactics by China’s military off the island’s coast, as well as escalating tensions in the Taiwan Strait, where political, economic, and military frictions with China are surging.

Citing alarming statistics that underscore the risks for Taiwanese nationals traveling to China, Lai noted that since January 1, 2024, 71 Taiwanese have gone missing, been detained, interrogated, or imprisoned in China, with the real number likely much higher. Lai said his government will enhance travel advisories and implement stricter travel registration requirements for individuals crossing into China, aiming to minimize the risks posed by Beijing’s arbitrary detentions.

Guarding against political infiltration, new transparency requirements will be imposed on all government officials, mandating that their interactions with Chinese counterparts be made public to prevent covert influence operations. Additionally, religious and cultural organizations will be subject to new disclosure rules to prevent them from being co-opted by Beijing’s United Front Work Department, which has long sought to manipulate such groups for political gain.

Further steps will be taken to limit access to Taiwan for Chinese individuals with histories of working with the Communist Party’s united front agencies, who will now be barred from entry. Other applicants will face stricter vetting to ensure they are not engaged in influence operations. Taiwan will also closely monitor religious, cultural, and academic exchanges, ensuring they remain depoliticized and free of security risks.

Lai’s speech follows growing concerns over China’s intensifying efforts to infiltrate and divide Taiwanese society. The president referenced the work of strategic scholar Kerry K. Gershaneck, who has warned that China’s tactics include subversion, media control, and lawfare designed to "sow seeds of discord, keep Taiwan occupied with internal conflicts, and cause the public to ignore the real external threat."