Taiwanese prosecutors on Tuesday filed espionage charges against four individuals, including a former official linked to current President Lai Ching-te, for allegedly leaking sensitive information to China. The case has rocked the ruling party and further strained already tense cross-strait relations.
The accused, all former members of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), were expelled last month over suspicions of collusion with Chinese intelligence services. A fifth individual, also expelled, remains under investigation, a prosecutor told AFP.
According to a statement from the Taipei District Prosecutors Office, the four face charges under the National Security Act and the Classified National Security Information Protection Act for allegedly sharing state secrets with Beijing. They are also accused of money laundering.
Prosecutors stated the espionage took place over a “prolonged period,” involved the exchange of “important and sensitive diplomatic information,” and inflicted “significant damage to national security.” They are seeking prison sentences ranging from five years to over 18 years, along with the seizure of illicit gains totaling over 8.3 million New Taiwan dollars (approximately US$277,000).
One of the main suspects, identified by the surname Huang, allegedly transmitted information to Chinese authorities via a specific messaging app. Huang previously worked for a city councilor in New Taipei, according to Taiwan’s semi-official Central News Agency (CNA). Another accused, surnamed Ho, was an aide to current National Security Council chief Joseph Wu when Wu served as foreign minister.
Huang and Ho have denied the charges. However, the other two suspects — one of whom worked for Lai during his tenure as vice president and later as president — have confessed, prosecutors said.
While espionage between China and Taiwan is longstanding, Taiwanese authorities warn that the threat has grown more serious amid the risk of a potential Chinese invasion. Last year, 64 individuals were prosecuted for spying for Beijing, compared to 48 in 2023 and just 10 in 2022, according to Taiwan’s National Security Bureau. This year’s cases include 15 veterans and 28 active-duty military personnel.
This latest scandal follows a series of recent espionage convictions that have shaken Taiwan’s security establishment. In March, a court sentenced four soldiers — three of them former members of the presidential security team — to prison terms ranging from five years and ten months to seven years for leaking military intelligence to Chinese agents between 2022 and 2024. The soldiers reportedly received payments ranging from US$7,850 to US$20,000 for photographing classified information.
In April, Taiwan’s High Court handed down some of the toughest penalties to date, sentencing an Air Force couple to 47 and 57 years in prison for passing military secrets to Chinese intelligence.
Amid the growing threat, President Lai recently labeled China a “hostile foreign force” and announced new measures to counter its actions, including the reinstatement of military tribunals to handle espionage cases.
Taiwan has governed itself independently since 1949 under the official name Republic of China. It maintains its own political, economic, and military systems, but Beijing considers the island an “inalienable part” of its territory and has ramped up efforts — including threats of force — to achieve “national reunification.”
