Prominent news personality Wang Ping-chung (王炳忠) and three other New Party youth wing leaders were detained for questioning yesterday, as part of a probe into suspected leaks of classified information in connection with an espionage investigation against Chinese student Zhou Hongxu (周泓旭).
In coordinated actions yesterday morning, Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau (MJIB) officials, backed up by police officers, served summonses and conducted searches at Wang’s home in Taipei and at the residences of other New Party youth wing executives Ho Han-ting (侯漢廷), Lin Ming-cheng (林明正) and Chen Ssu-chun (陳斯俊).
The officials had search warrants, summons notifications and arrest warrants for Wang and his New Party colleagues, and the operation was carried out in accordance with legal procedures, they said.
Photo: Peter Lo, Taipei Times
Wang, the New Party spokesman and head of its youth member committee, is known for his outspoken pro-China views and has made frequent trips to China, often appearing as a political commentator on Chinese state media.
Officials dispatched to search Wang’s home said they had to call a locksmith to gain entry after Wang stalled them for about an hour by refusing to open the door.
Wang tried to call his lawyer, as he began filming what was taking place for an online live broadcast.
After gaining entry, officials served summonses and warrants for Wang and his father, and they were taken for questioning at the MJIB headquarters in New Taipei City.
The same was done with Wang’s colleagues.
Taipei prosecutor Lin Chun-ting (林俊廷) headed yesterday’s investigation, as he is also in charge of the investigation of Zhou, who was convicted in September for trying to obtain classified information and recruit people for a spy network.
The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office later released a statement saying that Wang and other people of interest were being investigated on suspicion of violating the National Security Act (國家安全法) in relation to Zhou’s case.
Except for Chen Ssu-chun, the other three had just returned from China on Saturday, as they had accompanied New Party Chairman Yok Mu-ming (郁慕明) and Taipei City Councilor Chen Yen-po (陳彥伯) on an official visit to China.
Chen Yen-po yesterday confirmed that the New Party delegation held a number of meetings with executives at China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, and that they had visited Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing and other Chinese cities.
Regarding Zhou’s case, the investigation had earlier revealed that Wang had become friends with Zhou when the Chinese student was active in universities and social circles in getting to know more people and government officials prior to his arrest and conviction.
The two had been seen attending the same events.
It was alleged that Wang had played a key role by introducing Zhou to Taiwanese government officials and acting as an intermediary for Zhou’s activities.
Chen Ssu-chun and Lin Ming-cheng were listed as witnesses, and transferred to the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office for further questioning at about 7pm yesterday, while Wang and Ho were still being questioned at MJIB as of press time last night.
Zhou, who is under detention, was also summoned by prosecutors last night, as officials said they might arrange for Zhou and Wang to testify and be cross-examined as part of the investigation into the case.
AIR SUPPORT: The Ministry of National Defense thanked the US for the delivery, adding that it was an indicator of the White House’s commitment to the Taiwan Relations Act Deputy Minister of National Defense Po Horng-huei (柏鴻輝) and Representative to the US Alexander Yui on Friday attended a delivery ceremony for the first of Taiwan’s long-awaited 66 F-16C/D Block 70 jets at a Lockheed Martin Corp factory in Greenville, South Carolina. “We are so proud to be the global home of the F-16 and to support Taiwan’s air defense capabilities,” US Representative William Timmons wrote on X, alongside a photograph of Taiwanese and US officials at the event. The F-16C/D Block 70 jets Taiwan ordered have the same capabilities as aircraft that had been upgraded to F-16Vs. The batch of Lockheed Martin
GRIDLOCK: The National Fire Agency’s Special Search and Rescue team is on standby to travel to the countries to help out with the rescue effort A powerful earthquake rocked Myanmar and neighboring Thailand yesterday, killing at least three people in Bangkok and burying dozens when a high-rise building under construction collapsed. Footage shared on social media from Myanmar’s second-largest city showed widespread destruction, raising fears that many were trapped under the rubble or killed. The magnitude 7.7 earthquake, with an epicenter near Mandalay in Myanmar, struck at midday and was followed by a strong magnitude 6.4 aftershock. The extent of death, injury and destruction — especially in Myanmar, which is embroiled in a civil war and where information is tightly controlled at the best of times —
Taiwan was ranked the fourth-safest country in the world with a score of 82.9, trailing only Andorra, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar in Numbeo’s Safety Index by Country report. Taiwan’s score improved by 0.1 points compared with last year’s mid-year report, which had Taiwan fourth with a score of 82.8. However, both scores were lower than in last year’s first review, when Taiwan scored 83.3, and are a long way from when Taiwan was named the second-safest country in the world in 2021, scoring 84.8. Taiwan ranked higher than Singapore in ninth with a score of 77.4 and Japan in 10th with
SECURITY RISK: If there is a conflict between China and Taiwan, ‘there would likely be significant consequences to global economic and security interests,’ it said China remains the top military and cyber threat to the US and continues to make progress on capabilities to seize Taiwan, a report by US intelligence agencies said on Tuesday. The report provides an overview of the “collective insights” of top US intelligence agencies about the security threats to the US posed by foreign nations and criminal organizations. In its Annual Threat Assessment, the agencies divided threats facing the US into two broad categories, “nonstate transnational criminals and terrorists” and “major state actors,” with China, Russia, Iran and North Korea named. Of those countries, “China presents the most comprehensive and robust military threat