Taipei, March 13 (CNA) President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) on Thursday pledged to strengthen national security in the face of “foreign adversary” China’s “unchanged” ambitions to annex Taiwan.
At a news conference in Taipei, Lai said China’s “ambitions to annex Taiwan and eliminate the Republic of China” remained unchanged and that in recent years, its efforts to infiltrate Taiwanese society and sow division through influence operations had intensified.
“Such a China constitutes a hostile foreign force, as defined in our country’s Anti-Infiltration Act,” Lai said at a news conference at the Presidential Office.
In light of this, Lai said the government “had no choice but to take more active actions [against the threats].”
In response to a reporter’s question about whether his nomenclature would escalate tensions across the Taiwan Strait, Lai said “the political and military intimidation, United Front tactics, and infiltration operations launched by China against Taiwan” had met the definition of a foreign adversary.
“Taiwan is never the one that escalates tensions,” he said, adding that the country remained a responsible member of the region and a contributor to the region’s security and stability.
At the unscheduled press event, the president outlined a series of measures planned by his administration to “safeguard the freedoms, democracy, and way of life we cherish.”
The proposed measures include reinstating the military trial system, tightening requirements for residents from China, Hong Kong, and Macau to obtain Taiwanese identifications, and limiting access to Taiwan for individuals with “United Front backgrounds,” among others.
According to the Anti-Infiltration Act, foreign hostile forces refer to countries, political entities, or groups that are at war with or are engaged in a military standoff with Taiwan, as well as those advocating the use of non-peaceful means to endanger the country’s sovereignty.
