With Taiwan having such a stranglehold on key technologies, most notably semiconductors, worry of theft from China is at an all time high. This is only compounded with the increased demand due to COVID relative supply chain issues. With this in mind the Executive Yuan has recently finalized a draft amendment to the National Security Law (nothing like the one in Hong Kong).
A big reason for this push is to prevent China from stealing business secrets and poaching talent from Taiwan. The new addition to the law would seek to protect against “economic espionage” and would not allow individuals to share secrets regarding key technologies. Though, of course it is not limited to China, Taiwanese are not permitted to share them with any foreign forces. If someone is found in violation of the law, they can be sentenced to up to 12 years in prison and face a fine of up to NT$100 million.
This is the first time that the law has ever been reformed to increase its purview. Though some believe it is necessary being that the number of accused and convicted are so low. Over the past 5 years, 9 of the 137 people that have been indicted have been given prison sentences for violating the National Security Law.
DPP lawmakers contend that the theft of its intellectual property would not only weaken the corporations that had their secrets stolen, but potentially also could weaken the economy. They fear this or worse could lead to a severely weakened country more vulnerable to attacks. Let us hope this law is enough to protect Taiwan from such attacks and that the law is implemented safely and justly.