Tougher measures needed to counter stepped-up Chinese infiltration, spying: Taiwan President William Lai Ching-te

Taiwan's President calls for tougher measures against Chinese infiltration and espionage to protect national defense.

Taiwanese President William Lai Ching-te said on Thursday (March 13, 2025) tougher measures are needed to counter stepped-up Chinese infiltration, spying and other efforts to weaken the island's defences.

Mr. Lai cited a range of recent incidents involving China that fall into a “gray area” of psychological warfare short of open armed conflict.

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Beijing's efforts to “subvert, obtain secrets, lure members of the armed forces and influence public opinion to lose confidence in our national defence require that we step up our legal safeguards to prevent and detect such incidents,” Mr. Lai said at a news conference.

Mr. Lai's Democratic Progressive Party favours the island's continued de-facto independence from Beijing. China has refused almost all official contact with the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) since Mr. Lai's predecessor, Tsai Ing-wen, was elected eight years ago.

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China regularly sends ships and planes into airspace and waters near the island in an effort to intimidate its 23 million people and wear down its armed forces and morale.