Taiwan Pushes Stricter Penalties for Collaborators with Chinese Political Groups

A Taiwanese lawmaker proposes an amendment targeting individuals collaborating with Chinese political groups to protect Taiwan's sovereignty. The bill aims to impose penalties on those who engage in activities threatening democratic freedoms. The proposal responds to incidents of pro-China content by influencers and seeks clearer legal definitions to deter violations.

A Taiwanese lawmaker from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has introduced a proposal to amend existing laws to penalize Taiwanese citizens collaborating with Chinese political groups, as reported by the Taipei Times. The move comes in response to growing concerns over the influence of Chinese propaganda, following recent incidents involving online influencers promoting pro-China content.

Legislator Chiu Chih-wei aims to amend the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area to impose fines on individuals working with groups linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) if their actions threaten Taiwan's sovereignty or democratic freedoms. Currently, the laws only target direct collaboration with the CCP, leaving a loophole for those echoing CCP narratives without penalty.

The amendment seeks to clearly define prohibited activities for Taiwanese citizens traveling to China, including collaborations with political, military, or administrative groups that undermine Taiwan's sovereignty. It would also outlaw calls for changes to Taiwan's democratic Constitution. Chiu suggested raising the fines and applying them per infringement to enhance deterrence and close existing legal gaps. The proposal has garnered support among lawmakers and has been submitted to the Legislative Yuan, aiming to prevent Chinese exploitation of legal ambiguities, especially amid reports of classified information leaks to Chinese agents.

(With inputs from agencies.)