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Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te on Thursday vowed to bolster the country’s national security, including reinstatement of the military trials, in response to what he described as the “unchanged” ambitions of the “hostile foreign force” China, Channel News Asia (CNA) reported.
Addressing a press conference in Taipei, Lai said China’s attempts to “annex Taiwan and eliminate the Republic of China” had not wavered. Instead, he noted, Beijing had intensified efforts to “infiltrate” Taiwanese society and create internal divisions”.
“By its actions, China already satisfies the definition of a hostile foreign force, as defined in our country’s Anti-Infiltration Act,” Lai said at the Presidential Office.
Lai emphasised that in light of these threats, the government had no choice but to take more proactive measures. “We had no choice but to take more active actions [against the threats],” he said, reaffirming the administration’s commitment to protecting Taiwan’s sovereignty.
According to a report in the Taipei Times, Lai told reporters after convening a national security meeting that Taiwan will reinstate military trials to counter Chinese infiltration and military espionage.
Restoring military trials would allow the judiciary and prosecutors to handle cases in which military officers commit crimes such as rebellion, leaking confidential information and aiding the enemy, Taipei Times quoted Lai as saying.
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