TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of National Defense has proposed a legal amendment to punish active-duty military personnel who swear allegiance to China with a maximum prison sentence of seven years.

The MND announced Monday that to strengthen countermeasures against China's infiltration and sabotage activities targeting the armed forces, it has drafted an amendment to Article 24 of the Criminal of the Armed Forces, per CNA. Under this amendment, any active-duty military personnel who express loyalty to China, through speech, actions, writings, images, or digital records, compromising the military will face imprisonment of between one and seven years. 

The MND said the military and national security agencies have uncovered espionage cases in recent years. These operations often involve financial incentives, investments, and gambling to recruit active-duty military personnel, coercing them into pledging allegiance through signed statements or recorded videos.

The ministry said such actions have compromised national security. The ministry has proposed amendments that will be submitted to the Cabinet for review following the completion of the legal notification and legislative procedures.

The MND emphasized that active-duty military personnel are constitutionally and legally bound to remain loyal to the country, safeguard the people, and perform their duties to ensure national security. It said acts of treason by a minority of service members not only invite public condemnation but will also be met with the full force of the law.