Legislators aim to pass three readings of draft amendments
to the National Security Act and the Act Governing Relations Between the People
of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area this month, sources said.
A proposed bill to amend the National Security Act, which
passed a preliminary review on April 7, would prohibit people from helping
China, Hong Kong, Macau, foreign countries or overseas hostile forces, or
companies, organizations or people controlled by them, to infringe on the
business secrets of the nation's "core" technologies.
Offenders under the law could face five to 12 years in
prison or a fine of New Taiwan dollar (NTD) 5 million to NTD 100 million.
The amendment would also prohibit people from using and infringing
on business secrets of the nation's core technologies in China, Hong Kong,
Macau and foreign countries, adding that offenders could face three to 10 years
in prison or a fine of NTD 5 million to NTD 50 million, reported Taipei Times.
To expedite prosecution, the amendment requires that the
High Court hear the first instance of cases concerning national security, and
the Intellectual Property and Commercial Court hear the first instance of
economic espionage cases.
A draft amendment to the Act Governing Relations Between the
People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area, which passed a preliminary
review on March 25, would forbid Chinese businesses or Chinese-funded entities
based outside China from engaging in business activities in Taiwan without
government approval, reported Taipei Times.
Offenders would face up to three years in prison and fines
of up to NTD 15 million, while anyone who allows Chinese-funded businesses to
use their name to operate in Taiwan would face fines from NTD 120,000 to NTD
2.5 million, the draft amendment said.
Under the bill, legal persons, groups, and members of
entities commissioned, subsidised, or invested to a certain extent by
government agencies to engage in businesses involving the nation's core
technologies would need government approval to travel to China, reported Taipei
Times.
The requirement would remain for three years after the
commission, subsidy or investment ends, or three years after the person has
left their position, and offenders could face fines of NTD 2 million to NTD 10
million, it said.