China's Shadowy Reach: How Beijing is Targeting Taiwan's Military and Institutions

Taiwan's National Security Bureau Warns of Escalating CCP Infiltration Tactics

Taipei, April 22 - Taiwan's National Security Bureau (NSB) has issued a stark warning: China is significantly escalating its efforts to infiltrate Taiwan across multiple sectors, employing a range of sophisticated tactics.

The NSB detailed these concerns in a written report submitted to lawmakers, highlighting Beijing's use of various methods, including collaborations with temples and organized crime groups.

“These [infiltration] efforts target Taiwan's military units and government agencies in an attempt to obtain sensitive defense and governmental information and to develop espionage networks within Taiwan," the NSB stated.

The report outlined several key strategies employed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). These include establishing underground banks to channel funds, enticing individuals with financial incentives to join the CCP, and leveraging temples to gather intelligence from military personnel.

The NSB noted that the CCP is exploiting Taiwan's democratic openness, utilizing indirect and covert tactics to intensify its infiltration efforts. The report also mentioned that the CCP works to establish online connections and lure China-based Taiwanese businessmen to contact government officials using fake identities to gather sensitive information.

The CCP's approach encompasses several methods, including recruiting retired personnel to influence active-duty members, offering financial incentives, and employing debt coercion, according to the NSB.

Specifically, the NSB highlighted the CCP's cooperation with criminal gangs to develop armed internal agents. The report alleges that the CCP recruits Taiwanese gang members, offering “nonrepayable loans” to identify cash-strapped active-duty military personnel. These recruits are then encouraged to collect sensitive military intelligence.

Furthermore, the CCP reportedly instructs these gangs to raise the Chinese national flag and act as internal operatives in the event of a Chinese military invasion, coordinating sabotage efforts.

The NSB also revealed that the CCP utilizes underground currency exchange channels controlled by criminal organizations to funnel funds into Taiwan. The goal is to recruit Taiwanese individuals or retired military personnel to establish shell companies, pawn shops, and gambling houses, subsequently pressuring or enticing active-duty service members to collect military secrets, pledge allegiance to the CCP, or even pilot military helicopters to surrender to the CCP.

In a particularly concerning development, the NSB stated that the CCP is providing financial support to temple managers, asking them to induce active-duty military personnel to wear military uniforms, hold the Chinese national flag, and create videos showing their “surrender to China” during temple visits.

This report was presented prior to a legislative hearing addressing Beijing's infiltration activities, which have recently been found to target Taiwan's highest governmental bodies, including the Presidential Office, the National Security Council, and the foreign and defense ministries.