Mainland China offers US$1,400 for arrest of Taiwanese military ‘secessionists’

Police in the mainland Chinese province closest to Taiwan issued a reward notice on Saturday for information leading to the capture of Taiwanese military officers accused of inciting secession.

The move comes a day after Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te pledged to boost the island’s defence, using his Double Tenth speech to outline an increase in Taiwan’s military budget to deter a cross-strait attack.

The Public Security Bureau in the coastal city of Xiamen, in Fujian province, identified 18 individuals as core members of a Taiwanese military “psychological warfare” unit in a bounty notice that included their names, identification numbers and photos.

It offered a reward of 10,000 yuan (US$1,400) to anyone who could provide clues about their activities and help in their arrest, according to state media reports.

The notice accused the Taiwanese unit of conducting operations such as information warfare, intelligence gathering and broadcast-based psychological warfare.

Its activities allegedly include setting up websites to smear the mainland, producing video games to incite secession, operating radio stations for infiltration, and coordinating with external forces to manipulate public opinion.