Taiwan's top intelligence agency launches PRC tip-off site

Taipei, June 14 (CNA) Taiwan's top intelligence agency on Sunday launched a reporting channel for Chinese nationals to provide intelligence on China, saying the initiative would help broaden its "diverse intelligence sources."

The information-reporting channel, a webpage at https://report.nsb.gov.tw, "serves as a secure channel through which Chinese nationals may submit intelligence-related information," the National Security Bureau (NSB) said in a bilingual press release issued in Chinese and English.

According to the NSB, the initiative is aimed at expanding the collection of intelligence on China's political, military, economic, and social developments, and draws on similar practices adopted by intelligence agencies in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Israel.

To ensure that prospective informants can safely and securely contact the NSB through the channel, the bureau said it also provides step-by-step instructions in Chinese on how to communicate with the agency online.

"Upon accessing the page, Chinese nationals will be directed to different procedures depending on whether they are located inside mainland China or overseas, and will follow six security guidelines to complete the contact and submission process," it said.

The six security guidelines include using mobile phones or tablets of non-Chinese brands, restoring to factory settings, and connecting to Wi-Fi networks without a requirement for real-name authentication, according to the NSB.

It also advises using virtual private networks (VPNs) and web browsers developed by companies from the West, and browsing the Web in incognito/private mode, the NSB said.

Aside from the establishment of the reporting channel, the NSB also released a video aimed at encouraging Chinese nationals to share information with the NSB.

The one-minute AI-generated promotional video, titled "Change," shows a Chinese civil servant witnessing colleagues being investigated and removed from their posts one by one without explanation.

The clip is intended to reflect "a pervasive atmosphere in which everyone is on edge under China's totalitarian regime," according to the NSB.

The NSB "calls on Chinese nationals at home and abroad to actively provide information and make changes with courage," it said in the press release.

The NSB did not answer follow-up questions when asked by CNA if it had considered the risks to Chinese nationals if they are caught sharing intelligence-related information with Taiwan, which could carry severe penalties, including long prison sentences.

It also did not say if Taiwanese are also encouraged to use the channel.