Taiwan Grapples with Rising Espionage Threat: Military Personnel Targeted

National Security Bureau Report Reveals Extensive Chinese Infiltration Efforts within Taiwan's Armed Forces

Taipei, Taiwan – A recent report from Taiwan's National Security Bureau (NSB) paints a concerning picture of espionage activity, highlighting the significant threat posed by China to the island's national security.

The report, presented to the legislature, reveals that since 2020, prosecutors have indicted 159 individuals suspected of spying for China. A staggering 60% of these individuals are either active-duty or retired military personnel.

The NSB report details the multifaceted tactics employed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to recruit Taiwanese military personnel. These strategies include leveraging retired personnel to approach active members, exploiting the internet for recruitment, offering financial incentives, and targeting service members struggling with debt.

The CCP's approach extends beyond high-ranking officers, as evidenced by collaborations with criminal gangs, shell companies, moneylenders, temples, and civic groups to target lower-ranking personnel facing financial difficulties. The report confirms the CCP's extensive infiltration across all levels of Taiwan's military.

Among the 95 indicted military personnel, 46 were commissioned officers, 27 were noncommissioned officers, and 22 were soldiers, demonstrating the breadth of the infiltration.

In response to these findings, the NSB has pledged to intensify collaboration with other national security agencies to analyze Chinese infiltration tactics and mitigate potential threats. This will involve strengthening cooperation between investigators, prosecutors, intelligence workers, and military intelligence officers.

Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄) addressed the issue, announcing enhanced measures to bolster intelligence security within the military. These measures include more rigorous background checks for personnel seeking access to classified intelligence, regardless of their rank.

“Spies for the CCP are indeed everywhere, and they will exhaust all options to get intelligence,” Koo stated before a legislative meeting. He also emphasized the armed forces' ongoing efforts to educate service members about countering espionage and highlighted that 87% of espionage cases involving military personnel were initially reported by active-duty service members.