Council to boost efforts to protect Taiwanese abroad

• By William Hetherington / Staff writer, with CNA

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The Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC) yesterday said that it would step up efforts to help Taiwanese expatriates identify and guard against Chinese infiltration, including attempts by Beijing to exploit financial incentives and sexual relationships to exert influence.

The council said it aims to enhance awareness among overseas Taiwanese communities and make them more alert to threats from China, as part of a broader whole-of-society defense resilience system.

The remarks came as the Legislative Yuan’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee reviewed the council’s proposed budget next year as part of the central government’s general budget, along with related trust fund budgets. The committee also discussed 13 proposals concerning freezes to this year’s budget.

Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wang Ting-yu, left, questions Acting Overseas Community Affairs Council Minister Lee Yen-hui, right, during the Legislative Yuan’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee meeting in Taipei yesterday.

Photo: Screen grab from the Legislative Yuan livestream

In its report to the committee, the council outlined two measures to counter China’s legal warfare and infiltration efforts: stepping up public outreach to improve expatriates’ ability to recognize risks, and monitoring overseas community affairs and pro-China organizations to counter “united front” infiltration.

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Michelle Lin (林楚茵) asked whether the council would allocate additional funding in future budgets to counter infiltration by Chinese agents operating overseas.

The Chinese Communist Party uses various means, including financial incentives and sexual relationships, to carry out “united front” work and infiltration, Acting Overseas Community Affairs Council Minister Lee Yen-hui (李?慧) said.

The council has been developing its overseas community resilience framework since last year in coordination with the government’s whole-of-society defense resilience policy. The plan comprises three phases and six stages, with the aim of gradually building a comprehensive system to help overseas Taiwanese communities withstand threats, she said.

Separately, DPP Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) questioned why the budget for overseas community engagement, reception services and overseas compatriot cultural centers were proposed to be increased to NT$882 million next year from more than NT$300 million this year.

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Niu Hsu-ting (牛煦庭) also raised questions about the purchase of overseas facilities.

The additional NT$500 million was earmarked for purchasing overseas cultural centers, Lee said. Vancouver would be the first location, followed by potential purchases in Orange County, California; Seattle, New York and Brisbane, Australia. The council aims to purchase one center a year, she said.

Vancouver was given priority, because rents there have risen 13 percent over the past two years. The city also has a large Taiwanese expatriate population and substantial demand for services, she added.