Taiwan’s President William Lai Ching-te says China is deepening its espionage and infiltration campaign against the island, and that his government will propose various measures to counter Beijing’s efforts to “absorb” Taiwan.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting with security officials on Thursday, Lai said Beijing is trying to cultivate relationships with members of Taiwanese society, including organised crime groups, media personalities and police officers.

“They [China] are carrying out activities such as division, destruction and subversion from within us,” Lai said.

He added that tougher measures are needed to counter Chinese efforts to weaken the island’s defences, citing recent incidents that fall into a “grey area” of psychological warfare, short of open-armed conflict.

Lai said that according to government data, 64 people were charged for Chinese espionage last year, three times more than in 2021. He said the majority were current or former military officials.

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