Taiwanese authorities this week indicted 10 individuals with connections to its military, including two soldiers who pledged allegiance to Beijing, in the latest action against espionage activities within its ranks at a time of high tensions.
The Taiwan High Prosecutors Office brought spying charges against several active-duty personnel for sharing military intelligence with China through an espionage ring, the semi-official Central News Agency in Taipei reported on Monday.
The indictments were part of Taiwan's ongoing battle against Chinese espionage efforts in its armed forces, a persistent threat given China's long-standing territorial claim to the democratically governed island.
The Chinese military, known collectively as the People's Liberation Army, is in the process of expanding and modernizing for purposes that include a potential amphibious invasion across the Taiwan Strait to capture Taiwan proper and the outlying islands under Taipei's control.
But defense planners in Taipei are also wary of subtler attempts to undermine its resistance from within.
A perceived vulnerability to Beijing's spycraft remains a lingering concern for Taiwan's international partners—chiefly the United States—and is sometimes cited, especially privately, as one of the reasons why the island has been unable to acquire some of America's latest weaponry and most advanced platforms.
The buildup to the latest espionage case began in July after investigators in Taoyuan, in northern Taiwan, followed up on one individual and carried out searches at multiple locations, according to CNA.
Among those indicted were two active-duty soldiers, who were accused of violating their oaths by expressing allegiance to China's Communist Party in a video titled "I will surrender to the People's Liberation Army."
Prosecutors, who are seeking severe punishment for the individuals, said the pair was offered sizable financial incentives by a businessman to make the video, which later became Chinese propaganda material in a textbook case of psychological warfare.
In the indictment this week, a lieutenant colonel and three other army soldiers were charged for collecting and leaking official government documents, and for recruiting officers on Beijing's behalf. Another person was accused of stealing military secrets beyond his clearance level.
The prosecutor's statement did not go into detail about the type of military intelligence the alleged spy ring had passed to China.
Taipei said the incident highlights the scope of Beijing's espionage, influence and information campaigns targeting the island's defenders and its public, in what they described as attempts to sway the allegiance of Taiwanese military personnel.
Just last month, a retired Taiwanese colonel and six active-duty military officers were sentenced for allegedly providing sensitive information to Beijing, violating the island's Classified National Security Information Protection Act in the process.
In a separate case in August, a lieutenant colonel, a member of the army's special forces, was implicated in a case that alleged he had helped to build a Chinese spy network aimed at obtaining classified defense material.
Prosecutors are seeking heavy punishment to match the gravity of the accusations. Lawmakers on the island have argued only severe penalties can deter similar acts in the future.
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About the writer
Aadil Brar is a reporter for Newsweek based in Taipei, Taiwan. He covers international security, U.S.-China relations, and East Asian ... Read more
