Taiwan's intelligence bureau reported that China's main spy agency is collaborating with criminal gangs, shell companies, and other questionable groups to gather information about Taiwan's defences. This has led to a significant increase in arrests for suspected espionage on the island.

According to reports, current and retired Taiwanese military personnel are a particular focus, making up about half of the 64 individuals accused of espionage and brought to trial last year. This marks an increase from 16 cases in 2021 and 10 cases in 2022. The arrests are consistent with China's increased use of economic pressure, military intimidation, and gray area strategies including the use of the internet to encourage unity and giving low-level government officials fully-funded visits to China.

A report issued by Taiwan's National Security Bureau over the weekend claims that Chinese agents have attempted to transfer money to people with information to sell through the Taiwanese underworld. In addition to loan sharks, shell firms that can be used to launder money, religious sects that occasionally commit crimes, and non-profit organisations, gangs—many of which had roots prior to the 1949 split between the two sides—are also targeted, the report stated.

Some payments are made using cryptocurrency, while more traditional methods, like sexual seduction, are also employed to trap unsuspecting targets and pressure them into revealing secrets. For example, a one-star general, Lo Hsien-che, fell victim to such a scheme while he was stationed in Thailand, according to the bureau. 23 members of a spy ring were among those detained last year; one of them received a 20-year prison sentence, according to the report. While the party's United Front division conducts propaganda operations, China's primary spy agency, the State Security Ministry, conducts programs that rely on conventional spy techniques, cyberattacks, and military intelligence. 

The main opposition Nationalist Party frequently interacts with China's ruling Communist Party, which largely avoids communication with Taiwan's ruling pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party. The DPP seems to be solidly in power, and the majority of Taiwanese still support maintaining their de facto independence, which is strongly supported by the US. However, Chinese tactics may have had some impact on local elections. China has been recruiting retired military personnel, which is made easier as many of them were born in mainland China and support unifying Taiwan with the mainland. To prevent this recruitment, Taiwan's government has set rules that limit when retired senior officers can visit the mainland and the conditions under which they can exercise this.