A detailed and long investigation by Taiwanese officials has revealed a deep conspiracy by China to dismantle Taiwan’s defences and undermine the democracy and sovereignty of the Island nation. In a detailed report by Reuters, it has been explained how China built up a spy network involving Taiwanese military officials and lured them with expensive gifts and cash rewards.
One of the Chinese spy recruiters, a person named Xie Xizhang, who had identified himself as a Hong Kong businessman, had met a Taiwanese naval officer named Chang Pei-ning multiple times, starting from 2006. Over the years, Xie recruited several officers in Taiwan’s military, rewarding them with foreign trips, luxury gifts and thousands of dollars in cash.
Reuters has reported that in 2019, Taiwanese officials moved against Xie’s espionage network, raiding several locations and making arrests. Xie has since left Taiwan. The detailed investigation reports accessed by Reuters have reportedly revealed that China has systematically built a spy network to undermine Taiwan’s defence capabilities, weaken its power and acquire detailed knowledge about its strategic weapons and plans.
As per the report, China’s spy network was so effective that even the security detail of Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen was compromised. Earlier this year, a retired security officer who was in the presidential detail and a serving Lt Col ranked officer was convicted by a Taiwanese court for their complicity in leaking the president’s security details to Chinese agents.
How deeply has China compromised Taiwan security? Amidst calls for tougher nat’l security laws, @Reuters reveals China’s efforts to penetrate Taiwan’s leadership & military, using court records involving accused spies, including high-level military officials. pic.twitter.com/BgBva1IWrT
— TaiwanPlus (@taiwanplusnews) December 21, 2021
They had reportedly provided charts, drawings, phone numbers of the president’s security staff and the details of the president’s residence to Chinese intelligence officers, the court had noted.
Reuters reported that 21 officers have been convicted so far in Taiwan and 9 more are under trial. The risk of open conflict is always high between China and Taiwan, and in such a situation, Taiwanese military personnel working on China’s payroll severely undermines the small Island nation’s security. In recent months, Chinese President Xi Jinping has made it clear that China will not be swayed from its goal.
It is notable here that the People’s Republic of China considers Taiwan its own territory and intends to take it back.
‘PRC has infiltrated almost all military ranks in Taiwan’
A retired Taiwanese Lt Commander Lu Li-shih has stated that PRC has infiltrated almost all ranks and levels in the Taiwanese military, including top-level generals. The officer stated that Chinese intelligence first approaches the targeted officers with lavish gifts and meals, and offers handsome payment for information. After the first few exchanges, they start blackmailing the corrupt officers for more information, with smaller payments.
The undertrials for spying include a retired major general and 3 retired colonels. In July this year, even Taiwan’s former deputy defence minister was interrogated in a national security probe.
Xie Xezhang, who had introduced himself as a Hong Kong-based businessman to Taiwanese military officers, actually reports to an office that functions directly under the PRC’s intelligence apparatus and serves as a front for China’s Central Military Commission. Chinese president Xi Jinping is the head of the commission, the Reuters report added.
China has a history of using spy networks against Taiwan
Taiwan as a separate nation was formed as a result of the Chinese civil war and clashes between the forces loyal to China’s Mao Zedong and the KMT party’s nationalist forces under Chiang Kai-shek. There have been instances where entire KMT factions have been persuaded by China’s communist forces to join them.
Reuters further reported that despite China’s massive military might and comparatively smaller forces of Taiwan, the island will be a difficult territory for China to take by force. Taiwanese forces’ military prowess, geographical advantage and the sea between them can all work to inflict heavy losses on China, even without the involvement of outside forces in the war.
However, if Chinese spies within Taiwan’s military ranks help the PRC by providing codes, weapon details, locations and strategic movements, things may be much easier for the communist power. In a September report, Taiwan’s defence ministry had stated that on the advent of a direct conflict, the Chinese agents inside Taiwanese territory may launch ‘decapitation’ attacks against Taiwanese forces, eliminating top-level commanding officers.
The report further states that apart from direct strategic consequences, the discovery of Chinese spies within the ranks also serves to psychologically weaken the military ranks, by sowing seeds of doubt and suspicion. Some security analysts even worry that cases of spies within the Taiwanese ranks will make allies like the USA suspicious, thereby creating situations where the USA may not be willing to share sensitive information with the Taiwanese forces.
Despite attempts by Taiwan’s Counterintelligence and Security Division, China has managed to create a spy network inside Taiwanese ranks. The Taiwanese military runs education campaigns, creates programs and even soap operas warning the ranks against Chinese designs, but all these efforts have fallen short.
Soap operas that echo real spy cases and packs of tissues emblazoned with a notice promising a reward for exposing a spy. Just some of the ways Taiwan is battling a sustained Chinese espionage campaign https://t.co/sqCUQ64DyK pic.twitter.com/hRAEG3F7Oj
— Reuters (@Reuters) December 21, 2021
Though Taiwanese officials are not willing to discuss the current investigations and openly admit the spying cases, retired officers and security experts of the country are concerned that the adverse effects of Chinese spying inside Taiwan’s forces may put the island nation’s security under severe threat.
Former military offiers from Taiwan visiting China
China’s state-affiliated media regularly announces the arrest of Taiwanese spies. The report further states that China also woos old-school politicians in Taiwan who are from the opposition and oppose the current regime in Taiwan. Though a majority of the younger generation Taiwanese nationals support President Tsai’s DPP, the opposing KMT was created in China and some of the old guards still harbour the dreams of reunifying with China under a democratic rule.
A significant number of retired military officials also support the KMT and the idea of reunification. In November 2016, China had broadcast a government event where over 30 retired Taiwanese generals were seen attending Xi Jinping’s speech. They had stood up for the Chinese national anthem. The incident had created a massive outrage in Taiwan.
Later, the Taiwan government had drafted a rule against China visits by retired military officers. Heavy fines and cancellation of pension benefits were introduced in case of Taiwanese ex-military officers found saluting Chinese communist party symbols or insignia. Over the years, Taiwan has also brought laws to induce heavy penalties and sentences for retired military officers who are found guilty of spying for China.
