Taipei [Taiwan] May 5 : The Taiwanese government is contemplating requiring legislators and elected officials to secure prior authorisation before travelling to China to curb Chinese infiltration, local media outlet the Taipei Times reported, citing an official.
In March, Taiwan President William Lai introduced 17 initiatives aimed at countering China's increasing infiltration activities, which includes mandating that all civil servants provide transparency regarding their trips to China to ensure public accountability, according to Taipei Times.
The official mentioned that the government is exploring the possibility of modifying the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and Mainland Area to enforce strict regulations for all civil servants before they travel to China.
They explained that this regulation would apply to all categories of public servants, encompassing military personnel, government workers, elected officials, legislators, and borough wardens. Given their roles in public authority, these individuals are key targets for Chinese infiltration, and their journeys to China should be conducted openly and transparently, they remarked.
"The Legislative Yuan is a vulnerability in national security," they stated, pointing out that legislators have access to sensitive national information but are currently not obligated to seek approval before travelling to China. Furthermore, the Legislative Yuan does not disclose which of its members have access to classified information, whereas all other government bodies do, they said, according to Taipei Times.
This procedure would be organized legally, with certain officials needing joint review and authorisation for their trips, while others would be required to publicly announce their travel plans, the official highlighted, as reported by Taipei Times.
"Grassroots civil servants would not be mandated to seek permission for travel to China, but they would have to publicly share their travel details," the publication quoted them as saying.
Even though grassroots public servants, like borough wardens, do not have access to classified information, they could still be susceptible to Chinese infiltration, they mentioned. Those employed in government agencies with access to classified materials would face stricter regulations, they added.
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