Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said on Thursday China has deepened its influence campaigns and infiltration against the democratic island, pledging measures to tackle Beijing's efforts to "absorb" Taiwan.

Taiwanese President William Lai Ching-te says tougher measures are needed to counter stepped-up Chinese infiltration, spying and other efforts to weaken the island’s defenses.

In some of his strongest rhetoric yet amid worsening cross-strait ties, Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te has labelled China a "foreign hostile force". He said Taiwan had "no choice but to take even more proactive measures" as a result,

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said on Thursday China has deepened its influence campaign and infiltration against the democratic island, adding his government will propose various measures to counter Beijing efforts to "absorb" Taiwan.

Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te on Thursday announced plans to restore the island’s military courts in order to counter what he described as China’s “ influence campaigns and manipulation .” Lai accused Beijing of trying to “absorb” Taiwan — China has long viewed the island as a breakaway province that it will eventually subsume.