ANI
China on Wednesday condemned Taiwan’s launch of a website encouraging Chinese citizens to share intelligence with Taipei and warned that it would take ‘resolute countermeasures’, accusing the island’s authorities of fuelling cross-strait tensions.The warning followed the launch of an online platform by Taiwan’s National Security Bureau (NSB) on Sunday. The website is designed to provide what Taipei describes as a secure channel for Chinese nationals willing to share information with Taiwanese authorities.According to Reuters, while addressing a regular press briefing in Beijing, Chen Binhua, spokesperson for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, accused Taiwan of using the initiative to undermine relations across the Taiwan Strait.He said Taiwan was engaging in ‘intelligence theft, infiltration, and sabotage activities, escalating cross-strait confrontation and undermining cross-strait relations’.”Criticising the move, Chen said, “This fully exposes their pro–Taiwan independence stance, their stubbornness, confrontational mindset, and refusal to change course”, adding, “We strongly condemn this and will resolutely take countermeasures.” No further details were provided on the nature of the proposed measures.The website was unveiled by Taiwan’s NSB amid what it described as growing interest from Chinese citizens seeking to provide information to Taiwanese authorities. Explaining the rationale behind the initiative, the agency had said earlier, “As a result, an increasing number of individuals have approached relevant agencies in Taiwan, wishing to provide various types of information.”The bureau argued that economic challenges and tighter political controls in China had contributed to rising public dissatisfaction.“In recent years, China’s economy has faced growing difficulties, while political control has remained ‘tight’.”According to the NSB, the platform aims to broaden Taiwan’s intelligence sources and follows practices adopted by intelligence agencies in countries such as the United States, Britain and Israel.As part of the launch, the website featured an AI-generated promotional video showing a Chinese civil servant becoming disillusioned after witnessing colleagues being investigated. The video concludes with the character deciding to contact Taiwan and declaring, “Now is the time to change.”China and Taiwan have long accused each other of espionage, with Taipei in recent years reporting a rise in cases involving alleged Chinese intelligence activities. Beijing, which claims Taiwan as its territory, has repeatedly criticised any actions it sees as challenging that position.The dispute comes a year after China introduced its own reporting mechanism, inviting the public to submit information on alleged offences committed by what it termed Taiwan ‘separatists’.Taiwan’s government continues to reject Beijing’s sovereignty claims, maintaining that the island’s future can only be decided by its own people.
