TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – One of China’s main aims following the May 20 inauguration of President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) is to establish closer relations with opposition lawmakers, the chief of Taiwan’s top intelligence agency said Wednesday (May 29).

National Security Bureau (NSB) Director-General Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) was responding to a question at the Legislative Yuan about a recent statement by dissident Chinese author Yuan Hongbing (袁紅冰) that China wanted to use opposition dominance at the legislature to push its policies and disrupt Taiwan’s government.

Tsai said Beijing planned to intensify its contacts with both national-level lawmakers and local politicians, per CNA. China would also seek closer ties to religious and business groups, using a strategy of exchanges with friendly associations while attacking those that were uncooperative, according to the NSB.

Tsai said the agency was closely monitoring developments, having obtained both public and secret intelligence about relevant policy discussions inside China’s establishment. Beijing had noted the change in Taiwan’s legislative structure after the Jan. 13 elections, with the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) losing its majority and the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) becoming the largest group.

As to Yuan’s comments, Tsai said the NSB did not rely on information from isolated sources, but would collect data and statements from disparate sources and then compare them before reaching a conclusion about their reliability.