Taiwan's government is moving to strengthen laws against foreign-directed harassment and intimidation on its soil, a step aimed at protecting residents from Chinese state pressure.

• Taiwan's National Security Bureau says it has started the process to amend the Anti-Infiltration Act and related laws, adding or raising penalties for stalking, harassment, threats, or violence carried out in Taiwan on behalf of a hostile foreign power.
• Current cases are mostly prosecuted under ordinary assault, intimidation, and organized-crime laws, which officials say carry light penalties and don't target the foreign governments or handlers directing the attacks.
• The push follows similar moves in the US, UK, Canada, and Germany, which have passed or proposed laws specifically defining and punishing transnational repression; Germany already made it a crime to carry out foreign-directed illegal acts on its territory.
• Security officials say this is aimed squarely at China, and they've set up a joint intelligence-prosecutor team to track down who in China is directing these operations, trace the money, and dismantle local criminal networks helping them.
• Lawmakers will question the justice minister, mainland affairs chief, and security officials on the issue later this week.

Outlook: Expect Taiwan to push these legal changes through parliament in the coming months, with tougher penalties specifically targeting foreign-directed intimidation campaigns.