Lead
Taiwan's National Security Bureau (NSB) has launched a website designed to encourage Chinese nationals to report intelligence information, a move that has drawn sharp condemnation from Beijing. The website, introduced on Sunday, offers a secure channel for individuals to provide information, according to statements from the NSB.
The initiative comes amid longstanding mutual espionage between Taiwan and China, with Taiwan reporting an increase in Chinese espionage cases. China, which views democratic Taiwan as part of its territory, has threatened to use force to take it, while Taipei accuses Beijing of using espionage and infiltration to weaken its defences.
Coverage Comparison
The launch has been covered by multiple outlets, each with a slightly different focus. Dawn highlighted the website's purpose as a secure channel for intelligence tips, while the South China Morning Post (SCMP) emphasized the debate over whether the initiative will work. The Hindu's reporting centered on China's response, quoting a Chinese official's condemnation of the website as exposing Taiwan's "confrontational mindset."
Key Claims
Taiwan's National Security Bureau introduced the platform with a one-minute AI-generated video showing a Chinese civil servant witnessing colleagues being investigated and removed from their posts. The video, which features subtitles in simplified Chinese, ends with the official buying a mobile phone and typing on it, saying: "Now is the time to change."
The NSB said the website was based on practices adopted by intelligence agencies in the United States, Britain, and Israel. The bureau offered security guidance for potential informants, including the use of foreign-brand devices, virtual private networks, and anonymous internet connections.
The NSB cited public dissatisfaction on the mainland over the economy, political repression, and social problems, claiming a growing number of mainland Chinese were approaching Taiwan-related agencies to provide information. "Coupled with a growing range of social and livelihood-related problems, these conditions have fuelled public discontent," read a statement in Chinese and English.
China's Taiwan Affairs Office responded on Wednesday, June 17, with spokesperson Chen Binhua saying at a regular news conference in Beijing that Taiwan was engaging in "intelligence theft, infiltration, and sabotage activities, escalating cross-strait confrontation and undermining cross-strait relations." He added: "This fully exposes their pro-Taiwan independence stance, their stubbornness, confrontational mindset, and refusal to change course. We strongly condemn this and will resolutely take countermeasures." Chen did not provide details on the countermeasures.
Chen also said Chinese citizens, organisations, companies, and other groups have a responsibility to safeguard security. "For those who provide intelligence to Taiwan's intelligence agencies in a way that constitutes a crime, the relevant departments will pursue legal responsibility in accordance with the law," he said.
The website is blocked in China, though many Chinese use VPNs to access other blocked sites such as Western social media and search engines.
In a related development, China has itself tried similar tactics. In 2024, Beijing announced an email address for people to report tip-offs about crimes committed by Taiwan "separatists," according to reports.
Taiwan's government rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims, saying only the island's people can decide their future.