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.

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said the government will work to let military tribunals operate in peacetime and announced a tightening of rules governing exchanges with China, underscoring growing concerns about Beijing’s operations on the island and in its armed forces.

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.

Lai said China has been courting Taiwanese to apply for residency and identity cards, attempting "to confuse Taiwanese people's national identity, weaken the awareness of friend and foe, and attempt to undermine the authority of the government to enlarge its influence within Taiwan."

China claims Taiwan as its own territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control. Taiwan's government rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims and says only the island's people can decide their future.

China will exert utmost efforts to realise "peaceful reunification" with Taiwan, but will take all necessary steps to safeguard China's territorial integrity, its foreign ministry said on Monday.