Taiwan's National Security Bureau (國家安全局, NSB) opened a dedicated online portal on June 14 to solicit intelligence tips from people inside mainland China and Chinese nationals abroad, marking a shift from passive defense to active human intelligence collection.
The platform invites tips on China's political, military, economic, and social developments. The NSB cited intelligence services in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Israel as models for the approach. To protect sources, the agency published six operational security guidelines covering the use of foreign-branded devices, VPNs, and private browsing, with separate access routes for users inside China and overseas.
NSB Director Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) framed the move as a response to shifting conditions on the mainland, saying growing numbers of dissatisfied Chinese citizens had already been approaching Taiwan voluntarily, driven by economic hardship, political repression, and deteriorating living conditions. The bureau also released an AI-generated promotional video titled *Change*, evoking an atmosphere of fear under China's political system and urging viewers to act.
The portal was blocked to mainland Chinese IP addresses within eight hours of its announcement.
Beijing Condemns the Move, Ignores a Separate U.S. Military First
Taiwan Affairs Office (國務院台灣事務辦公室) spokesperson Chen Binhua (陳斌華) condemned the portal at a regular press briefing on June 17, accusing the ruling Democratic Progressive Party of openly targeting the mainland for espionage and sabotage. Beijing pledged firm countermeasures and warned that anyone supplying intelligence to Taiwan's security agencies faces criminal prosecution under Chinese law. Before the official announcement, the portal had already circulated on overseas Chinese networks, where some described it as an "offshore petition bureau."
What drew equal notice was what Beijing chose not to address: Chinese officials remained publicly silent on a separate development — U.S. military intelligence personnel have, for the first time this year, been deployed to Taiwan's Military Intelligence Bureau (軍事情報局).
Taiwan Goes on the Offensive
Taiwan has historically cast itself as the target in cross-strait intelligence competition, with public discourse focused on countering Chinese infiltration through spy cases, recruited retired military officers, cognitive warfare, and cyber intrusions. The new portal marks a clear departure — Taipei is now openly gathering sources inside China.
The risks for those who respond are severe. Under China's National Intelligence Law, National Security Law, and Counter-Espionage Law, passing information to foreign adversaries can be prosecuted as espionage or subversion of state power. Overseas Chinese nationals may also face asset freezes, travel restrictions, or pressure on family members inside China. Beijing has recently ordered party, government, military, and corporate institutions to tighten internal secrecy and expand scrutiny of infiltration channels involving Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau.
China has been building its own mirror infrastructure. In 2024, Beijing set up a dedicated tip line for reporting alleged Taiwan independence figures; in 2025, it issued public bounties targeting Taiwan military personnel linked to psychological operations. Analysts expect Beijing to eventually encourage public reporting of individuals suspected of having been recruited by Taiwan.
A Scholar's Take on Democratic Risk
Lu Na (鹿娜), a Chinese scholar based in Sweden who researches media, communications, and risk governance in Europe, offered a broader reading in an interview. "I don't view this as a straightforward intelligence recruitment operation," she said. "From the perspective of democratic intelligence governance, the relevant risks are being made public and platformized — the purpose is to translate them into a security narrative that society can understand and participate in."
She also pointed to Scandinavian precedents. A Swedish court in 2018 convicted Dorjee Gyantsan of serious （Related： Beijing Watch | CEO Mocks Students' Job Dreams, Sparks National Fury ｜ Latest ）
