Prosecutors in Taiwan mentioned on Tuesday that they had charged a senior army officer with corruption and harming state safety after they mentioned he took bribes from a Chinese agent to behave as a spy and 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 Beijing to undermine Taiwan’s armed forces and sow dissent within the ranks. China views Taiwan as a “sacred” a part of its territory and has by no means renounced using pressure to convey the island beneath its management.
The prosecutors’ workplace in southern Taiwan’s Kaohsiung metropolis mentioned they have been in search of a 12-year sentence for a military colonel who had during the last 4 years obtained T$560,000 (about $18,000) in bribes from a Chinese agent who was additionally a retired Taiwanese officer.
The retired officer persuaded the colonel, who had been considering of leaving the armed forces, to remain in service so he might progressively stand up the ranks and act as a spy, it mentioned.
The colonel signed a letter to vow that he would give up within the occasion of conflict with China, the workplace 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 suspected of violating nationwide safety and anti-corruption legal guidelines and that it might 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 strengthen counter-intelligence training for officers and troopers and deepen safety investigations, it added.