On May 23rd, Taiwan National Security Council advisory committee member Lin Chiejie spoke in San Jose on “Defending Democracy – Challenges in Technology Warfare, Legal Warfare, and Taiwan’s National Security.” She pointed out that current national security extends beyond military, diplomatic, or legal policies to everyday life, the financial sector, the technology industry, online platforms, and social infiltration among various layers. The lecture attracted many overseas compatriots and professionals from the tech industry.
The event was co-sponsored by the Taiwan Representative Office Technology Division, the Taiwan American Industry Technology Association in Silicon Valley (TAITA-SV), and the North America Taiwan Engineers Association (NATEA). Representatives from overseas compatriot and technology groups such as the San Francisco Bay Area Taiwan Chamber of Commerce, North California Taiwan Center, Silicon Valley Canaan Academy, Global Taiwan Technology and Diplomacy Liaison Association, and North California Taiwan School Joint Association were present for discussions.
Servina Liu, President of the Taiwan American Industry Technology Association in Silicon Valley, mentioned in an interview that TAITA had previously invited Professor Lin Chiejie to speak at their annual meeting, analyzing technology and trade secret laws, which received enthusiastic responses from the overseas community. Leveraging Lin Chiejie’s visit to Silicon Valley this year, they collaborated with several Taiwanese organizations to host the seminar once again. She emphasized that Lin Chiejie reminded everyone that national security is not limited to high-level legal and policy issues but is closely related to daily life, technological work, and social infiltration. Taiwanese Americans in Silicon Valley, being in a technological hub, should remain vigilant in their professional fields to contribute to safeguarding democracy and national security alongside Taiwan.
During the lecture, Lin Chiejie discussed Taiwan’s complex security challenges from the perspectives of national security law, technological competition, legal confrontations, digital governance, and defending democracy. She pointed out that Taiwan’s transition from authoritarianism to democracy, marked by milestones like lifting martial law in 1987 and having multiple party alternations since the first direct presidential election in 1996, has established democracy as Taiwan’s most critical foundation and value. However, Taiwan now faces new types of threats from the Chinese Communist Party, including technology warfare, legal battles, cognitive warfare, and gray area actions.
She highlighted that Taiwan holds a crucial position in the global semiconductor and AI supply chain, serving as a significant node in the Indo-Pacific democratic front line and a key target of Chinese Communist infiltration and pressure. As technology advances rapidly, national security challenges have evolved from traditional military threats to submarine cable disruption, espionage cases, misinformation, cyber attacks, technological talent infiltration, as well as social aspects like financial, religious, cultural, and entertainment fields.
Lin Chiejie emphasized that Taiwan’s democratic system itself poses a challenge to authoritarian states. Despite Taiwan not provoking conflicts, it has long been subjected to various attacks and cognitive manipulations. These attacks not only involve national security but can also lead to scams targeting people’s livelihoods, societal wealth loss, and ethnic divides. For instance, hostile forces might use fake accounts to scam the elderly of their savings or deliberately spread misinformation to sow social discord and promote the so-called “stability” of authoritarian regimes.
Regarding technology and economic security, Lin Chiejie stated that in the era of AI, democratic and authoritarian countries are competing for technological superiority. In recent years, Chinese companies have aggressively recruited Taiwanese tech talents and accelerated the acquisition of technological capabilities through legal or illegal means, leading to economic espionage and national security risks. She stressed that severe actions should be taken against those illegally stealing research and development achievements, core technologies, and endangering national security.
Lin Chiejie also mentioned that Taiwan has strengthened relevant legislation, such as including the theft of critical national technologies in the National Security Law to officially prosecute economic espionage crimes. At the same time, there have been gradual advancements in export controls to prevent sensitive technologies like high-end AI chips and servers from flowing to authoritarian countries such as China and Russia, where they could be misused for weapon production, thus harming the democratic alliance.
She highlighted that Chinese-made apps pose cybersecurity risks, for example, Amap. If downloaded and used, personal data might be transmitted back to China. She believed that the government should alert the public to understand the potential risks of using these types of apps.
In an interview with Dajiyuan, Lin Chiejie further emphasized that cybersecurity and digital governance have become essential aspects of democratic defense. She introduced the concept of a “clean digital backpack” underlining the need for children to not only carry backpacks to school but also be protected in the digital environment to avoid premature exposure to misinformation and incorrect information.
Lin Chiejie’s visit to Silicon Valley this time aims to share Taiwan’s experiences in national security, technology protection, and democratic defense in recent years with the tech community and further enhance exchanges with the local Taiwanese community in the Bay Area. While Taiwan may not have all the answers, it continues its efforts, striving to achieve better understanding and consensus with overseas communities to strengthen democratic defenses.
Lastly, she underlined that overseas Taiwanese are crucial in safeguarding democracy. Through advocacy and education, they can explain Taiwan’s situation to local parliament members, government officials, and various sectors, assisting in clarifying misunderstandings around UN Resolution 2758 and promoting international support for Taiwan. They can also share expertise in technology, law, cybersecurity, and industry cooperation to help Taiwan enhance export controls, technological protection, and cybersecurity measures. Additionally, the overseas Taiwanese community should strengthen economic and social connections, support the internationalization of Taiwanese companies, uphold the democratic identity of overseas Taiwanese, and collectively combat united front funding, misinformation, and cognitive distortions. ◇