Taiwan’s Anti-Infiltration Bill Sends Relations with China to New Low

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6 years ago

Voice of America
Date: January 01, 2020
By: Ralph Jennings

Legislators of KMT or Nationalist Party protest the Anti-infiltration Bill with slogans reading ”Protest against a bad law, Sanction by Votes. Neck Bomb, Be hated by both man and God” on the legislature floor in Taipei, Taiwan, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019. The controversial bill is meant to criminalize political activities back or funded by mainland China. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)

TAIPEI – Taiwan parliament’s passage of a bill Tuesday banning infiltration by political rival China dealt a new blow to relations that have already sparked military threats and diplomatic tug-of-wars in the past four years.

Legislators gave final approval to a bill that allows sentences of five years in prison or a fine equal to $330,600 for lobbying, election influence, fake news dissemination and political contributions originating outside Taiwan.

The law — an unusual tool for a democracy — doesn’t name China specifically but the government’s Mainland Affairs Council says it applies to Chinese nationals as well as Taiwanese with connections in China. Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office accused the ruling party Tuesday of using the bill to win elections.

The ruling Democratic Progressive Party camp says the bill will advance Taiwan’s security. Its government has previously accused China of meddling in campaigns for the January 11 legislative and presidential elections. [FULL STORY]

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