Prosecutors in Taiwan mentioned on Tuesday they’d charged a senior army officer with corruption and harming state safety once they mentioned he took bribes from a Chinese agent to behave as a undercover agent or even signed a letter promising to give up to China.
Taiwan has lengthy battled in opposition to what it says is a sustained espionage marketing campaign run by way of Beijing to undermine Taiwan’s military and sow dissent within the ranks. China perspectives Taiwan as a “sacred” a part of its territory and hasn’t ever renounced the usage of pressure to convey the island underneath its regulate.
The prosecutors’ place of work in southern Taiwan’s Kaohsiung town mentioned they have been in the hunt for a 12-year sentence for a military colonel who had during the last 4 years gained T$560,000 (about $18,000) in bribes from a Chinese agent who was once additionally a retired Taiwanese officer.
The retired officer persuaded the colonel, who have been considering of leaving the military, to stick in carrier so he may regularly get up the ranks and act as a undercover agent, it mentioned.
The colonel signed a letter to vow that he would give up within the tournament of conflict with China, the place of work added.
The prosecutors recognized the colonel as Hsiang Te-en.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office didn’t reply to a request for remark.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry mentioned that the officer was once suspected of violating nationwide safety and anti-corruption rules and that it could proceed to cooperate with the investigation.
“This case highlights that the Chinese communists have become a serious threat against us when it comes to infiltrating, recruitment, collection of intelligence and theft of secrets,” the ministry mentioned.
The ministry will proceed to reinforce counter-intelligence schooling for officials and infantrymen and deepen safety investigations, it added.
