Thu Mar 13 08:41:51 UTC 2025: ## Taiwan Accuses China of Intensified Espionage and Influence Campaign

**Taipei, Taiwan** – Taiwanese President William Lai Ching-te has accused China of significantly escalating its espionage and influence operations against the island, vowing a robust counter-offensive. Speaking Thursday following a meeting with security officials, President Lai stated that Beijing is actively targeting various sectors of Taiwanese society, including organized crime, media personalities, and even police officers, in a bid to undermine the island’s stability and sovereignty.

President Lai cited a sharp increase in espionage cases, with 64 individuals charged last year – triple the number in 2021 – many of whom were current or former military officials. He described these actions as a campaign of “division, destruction, and subversion,” encompassing psychological warfare tactics that fall short of overt military aggression.

The president outlined 17 proposed countermeasures, including stricter vetting of Chinese residency applications, the potential revival of military courts, and unspecified adjustments to cross-strait flows of money, people, and technology. These measures aim to combat what President Lai described as a creeping erosion of Taiwan’s freedom and democracy through Chinese influence.

Recent incidents highlighted by President Lai include the expulsion of a Chinese national who celebrated China’s purported ability to swiftly conquer Taiwan on social media, and the actions of Taiwanese entertainers based in China who have echoed Beijing’s claims of sovereignty over Taiwan. The government plans to issue “reminders” to these entertainers regarding their public statements. Furthermore, retired Taiwanese military personnel have been implicated in leaking sensitive information to Chinese agents.

China, which views Taiwan as a breakaway province, has denied all accusations. The heightened tensions underscore the ongoing struggle between Beijing and Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party, which favors maintaining the island’s de facto independence. China has significantly limited official contact with Taiwan since the DPP’s Tsai Ing-wen assumed the presidency eight years ago. The two sides have been separated since a civil war in 1949.

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