The number of prosecutions against Chinese espionage has tripled in four years

REVOLT:
The NSB said it found evidence that the CCP was seeking snipers in Taiwan to target members of the military and foreign organizations in the event of an invasion

• By Aaron Tu and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writer

The number of Chinese spies prosecuted in Taiwan has tripled in four years, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said in a report released yesterday.

In 2021 and 2022, 16 and 10 spies were prosecuted respectively, but last year that number rose to 64, it said, adding that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is working with gangs in Taiwan to set up a network to build armed spies.

Spies in Taiwan have used various channels and methods on behalf of the CCP to infiltrate all sectors of the country, recruiting Taiwanese to help build organizations and obtain sensitive information from the Taiwanese government, the report said.

Photo: Reuters

The office said it hoped the report would help Taiwanese people better understand the CCP’s espionage operations in Taiwan.

The majority of those targeted by the CCP for recruitment are active or retired military personnel, it said.

Of the 64 spies prosecuted last year, 15 were retired military personnel, accounting for 23 percent of the total, while 28 were active-duty personnel (43 percent of the total), it said.

As an example of how the CCP pressures military personnel, the report cites the case of one-star general Lo Hsien-che (羅賢哲), who was involved in a honey trap scheme while stationed in Thailand and later leaked military secrets to Chinese Officials passed on information for a fee.

The CCP infiltrates Taiwan by collaborating with local gangs, illegal private moneylenders, shell companies, religious groups and nonprofit organizations, the report said.

The CCP seeks activists in Taiwan by building network connections, using financial incentives, pressuring people with debt and infiltrating military, government and civil society organizations, it said, adding that China is also trying to interfere in elections in Taiwan .

The NSB said it found evidence that gangs recruited by the CCP were asked to raise Chinese flags and launch an armed rebellion in the event of an invasion attempt by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.

The report said the insurgency plans included deploying trained snipers in Taiwan to target members of the military and foreign organizations.

It also demanded that military personnel fly helicopters to China to surrender in the event of an invasion and to hand over Taiwan’s defense plans to the CCP before such an invasion, it said.

The CCP pays recruits by transferring money through digital payment services or using cryptocurrencies, making payments difficult to trace, the report said.

The NSB has established a mechanism for cooperation between the office, the military and investigative agencies to combat Chinese espionage, it said.

Prosecution and conviction rates for spies have increased, and last year investigators cracked a 23-person spy ring and sentenced one spy to 20 years in prison, the report said.

The detection of espionage has been made easier in recent years by tips from military officers, soldiers and the public, showing that public awareness of security issues has increased sharply, it said.