![This photo taken on February 20 shows Hualien County Magistrate Hsu Chen-wei (front row, third right) and legislator Fu Kun-chi (front row, fourth right) lead a local delegation and pose for a group photo at a travel fair in Hong Kong. A member the delegation was arrested and detained in Hong Kong during the trip. [Fu Kun-chi/Facebook]](/gc9/images/2025/03/31/49781-hualien__2_-370_237.webp)
By Chia Fei-mao |
The Taiwanese government is considering policies to scrutinize cross-strait exchanges as part of an effort to prevent Chinese infiltration and protect its citizens.
Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te on March 13 called for the full enforcement of a disclosure mechanism to ensure central and local government officials remain transparent and accountable to the public when visiting China for exchanges.
He also said that the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) should establish a similar mechanism for public welfare organizations and religious groups engaging in exchanges across the Taiwan Strait.
The "disclosure mechanism" for the organizations is intended to prevent Beijing's "interference and united front efforts," Lai added, as reported by Focus Taiwan.
![This photo taken on August 14, 2024, shows a Taiwanese team's performance at the annual Cross-Strait Breakdancing Competition in Fuqing City, China's Fujian Province. Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has called for stricter travel disclosure to counter China's United Front tactics [cnsphoto/Imaginechina via AFP]](/gc9/images/2025/03/31/49782-afp__20240815__2088146600495284238__v1__highres__2024crossstraitbreakdancingcompetit-370_237.webp)
The term "united front" refers to coordinated efforts by the Chinese Communist Party to influence Taiwan's society, politics and media to promote pro-Beijing sentiment.
Lai also formally designated China an "external hostile force," accusing Beijing of calling for exchanges while detaining Taiwanese travelers.
Since 2024, Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has recorded 71 cases of people missing, held in custody, interrogated or detained while traveling to China.
'Compromise to confrontation'
In 2024, cross-strait travel totaled 4.4 million trips, less than half of the 10 million recorded in 2015 during the final years of Kuomintang (KMT) rule.
Considering the upcoming elections next year and the ongoing mass recall campaigns, "elected representatives should not be visiting China as frequently as they visit convenience stores," Huang Kwei-bo, a professor in the Department of Diplomacy at National Chengchi University, told Focus.
Chen Wen-chia, a senior adviser to the Institute for National Policy Research, said in an interview with Focus that China has intensified its united front tactics against Taiwan aiming to create internal divisions in Taiwan.
By defining China as an "external hostile force," Lai made his stance clear. His announcement of countermeasures marks a shift from an ambiguous position to a clear and decisive strategy, according to Chen.
"These countermeasures mark transition from compromise to confrontation," Chen said. "They may trigger a strong backlash from China, potentially bringing cross-strait exchanges to a halt while escalating China's 'cognitive warfare' against the Lai administration."
In the long run, however, these measures will help Taiwan resist Chinese infiltration and foster internal unity, he said.