Taiwan's Lai asks army graduates to remain 'vigilant against infiltration'

ISTANBUL

Taiwan’s regional leader William Lai Ching-te on Thursday asked army graduates to remain “vigilant against infiltration.”

Lai delivered the remarks during a graduation ceremony for Taiwan's military academies in Kaohsiung, after he launched his "10 Talks on the Country," on Sunday.

Under the "continuous threat of authoritarianism and various means of infiltration," every graduate must be "vigilant" and must work to enhance their skills and national defense, as well as "firmly defend national sovereignty," Lai said, according to his Facebook account.

Taipei will continue to promote defense reform and support the army through various policies, he added.

His comment comes as Taipei has gone after alleged spies for Beijing in recent months. The most recent case is a former Coast Guard personnel being indicted Wednesday for allegedly collecting and sharing sensitive military information with China, state media Focus Taiwan reported.

His "10 Talks on the Country," comes as the 24 lawmakers from the opposition Kuomintang party (KMT) face recall votes.

Lai, of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), has been accused of attempting to purge the opposition KMT, led by Chairman Eric Chu, as its 24 lawmakers face recall elections.

Taiwan's parliament is dominated by the opposition.

Separately, Taiwan's minor pro-Chinese party head Chu Hung-yi, the leader of the Rehabilitation Alliance Party, has been handed down a 10-year jail term for violating national security laws, along with six other people, who were sentenced to various jail terms, the media outlet reported Thursday.