Taiwan is tightening legal and institutional safeguards against Chinese influence operations both by cracking down on active personnel with PRC ties and retired generals amplifying Beijing’s propaganda.
1. Regular Inspections for PRC Citizenship Holders
- Starting Jan. 1, 2026, Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) will conduct regular checks on military personnel, civil servants, and public-school teachers.
- Purpose: to detect and prevent illegal employment of individuals with Chinese citizenship, household registration, or ID/residential permits.
- Those found holding PRC documents may lose Taiwanese citizenship and their right to work in sensitive positions (military, civil service, education).
- Initial scope: inspections focus on core personnel in military, civil service, and full-time teaching staff in public schools.
2. Targeted Scope of Inspections
- Not all personnel are covered—priority is on key posts affecting national security.
- For state-run/partially privatized companies: inspections apply only to appointees approved by the Executive Yuan or ministries/local governments.
3. Beijing’s Strategy & Taiwan’s Response
- MAC accuses Beijing of using dual citizenship tactics to undermine Taiwan’s single-citizenship policy, confuse identity, and advance “united front” influence work.
- Taiwan frames the inspections as safeguarding national security and protecting trust in government institutions.
4. Pension Cuts for Retired Generals Engaging in PRC Propaganda
- DPP lawmakers Wang Ting-yu and Michelle Lin propose amendments to Article 9-3.
- Goal: allow suspension or reduction of pensions for retired generals who engage in “united front” propaganda in cooperation with China.
- Current law (the “Wu Sz-huai clauses,” 2019) only punishes retired senior officials for attending CCP/PLA events or performing acts like saluting CCP symbols.
5. Closing Loopholes in National Security Law
- Proposed amendment expands punishable actions beyond ceremonial acts to include explicit cooperation with CCP propaganda or military coercion narratives.
- Motivation: Some retired generals publicly express loyalty to the PLA or support PRC military actions while still drawing pensions from Taiwan’s taxpayers.
- Seen as damaging to the military’s reputation and national security resilience.
