Taiwan: Seven retired military officers charged with espionage for selling secrets to China

Seven retired Taiwanese military personnel have been charged with espionage for allegedly selling state secrets to China, including photographs of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) and several military bases, the Taipei Times reports.

The case, which was initially linked to a 2022 investigation in Miaoli County, has been expanded after the discovery of a political infiltration operation involving a small political group, the Resettlement Coalition.

According to the Taipei Times, the Taichung branch of the High Prosecutors Office revealed that the investigation began with allegations that county councilor candidate Huang Kui-kun had accepted Chinese money in violation of Taiwan’s Anti-Infiltration Act.

As the investigation progressed, authorities discovered the activities of a network led by Chu Hung-i, a 62-year-old retired military officer who allegedly recruited other former military personnel to establish a pro-China organization within Taiwan. Had received money from China for this.

Chu, who has had business dealings in China since 2019, was found to have founded the Resettlement Alliance, set up in 2023, to advance Chinese interests in Taiwan.

Despite running three candidates for Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan elections, none of the resettlement coalition’s candidates were successful, the Taipei Times reported.

Prosecutors said Chu received substantial financial support for these campaigns, including NTUSD 2 million (about US$60,000) through WeChat and NTUSD 670,000 through secret channels.

In addition to political activities, the group is accused of gathering sensitive military intelligence. They reportedly took photographs of the AIT and four military installations, creating detailed coordinate maps that were shared with Chinese contacts via WeChat.

When questioned, the suspects claimed that the purpose of the funds was to authenticate Chinese antiquities on behalf of their Chinese colleagues and that they were asked for photographs of military sites, although they professed ignorance of the reason.

According to the Taipei Times, Chu and six others have been detained since August 2023 and face serious charges under Taiwan’s National Security Act and Anti-Infiltration Act. If found guilty, he/she could face up to seven years in prison and a hefty fine ranging from NT USD 50 million to NT USD 100 million. The case will now be heard in the Taichung branch of the High Court.