TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥), director-general of Taiwan's National Security Bureau, said Wednesday the agency is monitoring Chinese embassy staff overseas to see if they harass Taiwanese nationals.
The Legislative Yuan's Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee invited Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄) and Tsai to brief lawmakers on potential military flashpoints in the Taiwan Strait and surrounding areas and the armed forces’ readiness, followed by a question-and-answer session, per CNA.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Michelle Lin (林楚茵) cited media reports that personnel from China’s Taiwan Affairs Office stationed abroad monitor Taiwanese businesspeople, expatriates, students, and even tourists, sometimes attempting to exercise extraterritorial jurisdiction or engaging in harassment.
Tsai said the Chinese Communist Party sometimes deploys at least two to four officials from the TAO system or specializing in Taiwan affairs to its embassies and consulates in certain countries. He declined to name specific countries, saying doing so could reveal the NSB’s intelligence-gathering methods.
Asked whether these personnel harass Taiwanese expatriates or undermine Taiwan’s relations with host countries, Tsai said the NSB tracks such activities and shares intelligence with local authorities. He added that personal safety is generally protected because many of the countries involved are democracies governed by the rule of law, and local police and security agencies do not allow CCP personnel to violate diplomatic norms or threaten individuals.
Tsai noted that cross-border actions such as issuing a “red notice” against DPP Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋) are difficult to enforce. Interpol’s legal review panel examines member-state notices to prevent governments from abusing the system to target domestic dissidents, he said.
He added that the NSB monitors, through relevant channels, whether China is taking such subversive actions within the Interpol system. If necessary, authorities in Taiwan’s partner countries will issue appropriate warnings.
Lin also asked whether media reports suggesting that countries with closer ties to China, such as Thailand, are more likely to assist Beijing in long-arm jurisdiction or cross-border suppression are accurate. Tsai replied that while some situations do warrant attention, the issue is being discussed with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is considering how best to alert the public. He said the matter is still being handled internally.
