Taiwan's government is moving to toughen penalties for China-backed harassment and intimidation of critics living on the island, a response that is good news for activists and commentators who've been targeted but controversial among opposition lawmakers.

The Justice Ministry says current laws — assault, property damage, intimidation charges carrying under 5 years in prison — don't deter this kind of campaign, so it's working on amendments to the Anti-Infiltration Act that would add specific crimes and harsher sentences for cross-border intimidation.

Officials pointed to recent cases, including a commentator and a comedian who were physically attacked, as evidence that outside hostile forces — officials say China is the only one targeting Taiwan this way — won't tolerate free speech on the island. The Mainland Affairs Council plans to set up a dedicated hotline so victims can report incidents and get help faster.

Not everyone agrees on the framing: some opposition lawmakers argue the government risks stoking fear and unfairly branding domestic critics as foreign collaborators just because an attacker happens to be linked to mainland China, warning this could be used to silence legitimate dissent.

Outlook: Expect the amendment process to continue across government agencies, with the Justice Ministry pushing for legislative support while opposition lawmakers continue to push back on how "hostile foreign forces" get defined.