Taiwan launches website to recruit Chinese intelligence tips

Taiwan turned intelligence collection into a public call for help on Sunday, opening a new channel aimed squarely at Chinese nationals and residents connected to China. The National Security Bureau said the effort was designed to widen its intelligence reach on China’s political, military, economic and social developments, while signaling that Taipei sees discontent inside China as a possible opening in the cross-strait contest.

The bureau framed the website as a secure reporting page for people inside China and abroad who want to pass along information. It said the site was built with identity confidentiality and digital-safety protections because of Chinese internet surveillance and the risks tied to China-made mobile phones. Submissions will be screened first by technical tools and then reviewed by experienced teams, with different procedures depending on whether the user is in China or overseas.

Taiwan’s message was not subtle. The site opened with a one-minute promotional video the bureau said was AI-generated, showing a Chinese civil servant watching colleagues investigated and removed from office while a narrator spoke about people “disappearing” and the need for change. The clip ended with the official buying a mobile phone and typing, “now is the time to change.” Taiwan said the site was blocked in China, though many Chinese users can still reach blocked pages through virtual private networks.

The move reflects a sharper view in Taipei of the intelligence fight with Beijing. The bureau said it wanted Chinese nationals at home or abroad to provide information and help expand Taiwan’s sources, and it explicitly compared the tactic with methods used by intelligence agencies in the United States, Britain and Israel. The initiative is grounded in Taiwan’s National Intelligence Services Act, underscoring that Taipei is trying to formalize a campaign that blends classic espionage appeals with digital outreach and AI-generated persuasion.

The timing also fits a harder security backdrop. Taiwan’s National Security Bureau said in January 2025 that Chinese espionage prosecutions rose from 3 cases in 2021 to 15 in 2024, while 64 people were prosecuted last year, up from 48 in 2023. It said active-duty and retired military personnel were the main targets of Chinese infiltration. Beijing has also used a mirror tactic of its own: in 2024, China announced an email address for reporting alleged crimes by Taiwan “separatists” and later said it had received tip-offs through that channel. Taiwan’s new website suggests the information war is moving beyond state channels, with each side trying to recruit civilians into its own intelligence net.