Taipei [Taiwan], October 6 : Taiwan is preparing new legal and policy measures to counter what its government describes as China's alleged transnational repression, following the arrest in the United States of a suspected Chinese operative accused of surveilling the family of Taiwan President William Lai, Taipei Times reported.
Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng said the government was developing national guidelines to help Taiwanese citizens understand how to respond to intimidation, surveillance and other forms of alleged coercion while overseas, according to the Taipei Times.
The move follows the arrest of Wanying Heather Zhang at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday. FBI Director Kash Patel said that the Chinese government had allegedly dispatched an operative to the US to monitor Lai's family. Zhang was arrested before she could board a flight to Shanghai.
According to the Taipei Times, the alleged surveillance activities included photographing and filming members of Lai's family and recording vehicle licence plate numbers.
Speaking to reporters ahead of a legislative session, Chiu said the case indicated that Beijing's alleged transnational repression was not restricted to government officials, politicians or other prominent individuals. He said such tactics could increasingly be directed at Taiwanese citizens more broadly, potentially creating fear and discouraging people from freely exercising their rights abroad.
According to the reports, Chiu said Taiwan had been responding to the issue through preventive, protective and countermeasure policies. However, he acknowledged that the country's existing legal framework was not sufficient to address all forms of alleged overseas coercion and intelligence-gathering.
The MAC is therefore working on amendments to the Anti-Infiltration Act and related legislation, Taipei Times reported. Chiu said the proposed reforms would strengthen national security and public protections while providing clearer avenues of assistance for Taiwanese citizens facing transnational repression.
He also called for greater cooperation among democratic countries, saying such activities could not be effectively tackled by any one country alone. Chiu urged democratic partners to jointly condemn and counter alleged Chinese coercion.
Separately, Chiu addressed online criticism of Taiwanese television host Kevin Tsai after his appearance at a campaign event for Democratic Progressive Party Taipei mayoral candidate Puma Shen.
According to Taipei Times, Chiu said the backlash from Chinese internet users highlighted the risks faced by Taiwanese pursuing careers in China when their political views differ from Beijing's position.
He urged Beijing to respect Taiwan's democratic system and refrain from interfering in Taiwanese elections, saying such actions would not contribute to improved cross-Strait relations.