REVISED REGULATIONS: The guidance, which has drawn from the experience of the US, Canada, the UK and Germany, includes expanded background checks, the NSC said
- By Chen Yun and Fion Khan / Staff reporter, with staff writer
The National Security Council (NSC) has introduced five measures to improve personnel loyalty and counter Chinese infiltration, including expanding the scope of background checks and limiting access to confidential information, the council said in a report submitted to the Legislative Yuan.
The Legislative Yuan’s Judiciary and Organic Laws and Statutes Committee proposed freezing NT$4 million (US$120,070) from the NSC’s budget for consultancy and research operations.
The committee requested that the NSC submit a written report within three months outlining its counter-infiltration procedures and standards, as well as the results of checks on what the advisory committee members had done to prevent infiltration, as a condition for the budget being released.
Taiwanese flags fly at a square ahead of the Double Ten National Day celebrations in Taoyuan on Oct. 8, 2021.Photo: Ann Wang, Reuters
In a report submitted to the legislature, the NSC said personnel recruitment is conducted in accordance with the regulations governing special background checks for civil servants involved in national security or major projects.
The council has also drawn up its own operational guidelines for conducting personnel checks, it said, outlining five improvement measures introduced this year that draw on the experience of the US, Canada, the UK and Germany in countering Chinese infiltration.
First, the scope of special background checks is to be expanded beyond current regulations to cover personnel handling sensitive matters in each NSC office, including advisory committee members, confidential staff, advisory assistants and employees involved in sensitive operations, such as information security, it said.
Second, in addition to initial screening upon employment, personnel would undergo periodic checks at varying frequencies based on their level of security clearance starting this year, it said.
Third, if a person under review meets any of the conditions listed in Article 3 of the special check regulations, the case would be referred to the screening committee and an additional review panel would be formed to elevate the deliberation level and jointly evaluate the person’s suitability for the position, it said.
Fourth, the council would regularly review the assignment of sensitive duties, tighten control over access levels and link security clearance levels directly to the frequency of background checks, it said.
Fifth, access to any data on NSC computers would leave traceable logs, and all communication devices are strictly prohibited in sensitive meetings to prevent official data leaks, it said.
While advisory committee members are not explicitly covered by the special background check regulations, they are required to sign consent forms and affidavits agreeing to undergo the checks, the NSC said.
To increase risk prevention awareness, NSC advisory committee members have been subjected to annual checks since last year, which is more frequent than the Executive Yuan’s standard requiring re-evaluations every three years for continuous service in sensitive positions, it said.
All background checks last year were completed with the assistance of the Ministry of Justice’s Investigation Bureau, with no adverse findings reported, the council said.
The NSC has always upheld strict standards regarding the national loyalty and integrity of its personnel, it said.