Lawmakers and a researcher on Tuesday called for military trials to be reinstated during peacetime to help deter espionage in the military after an army colonel was charged with spying for China.
Hsiang Te-en (向德恩) was charged with corruption, pledging allegiance to China and receiving payment from Chinese operatives to work as a spy.
Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a research fellow at the Institute of National Defense and Security Research, said that military espionage poses a serious threat to national security, and reinstating military trials during peacetime for active personnel would improve troop discipline and deter spying.
Hsiang is only the latest in a spate of espionage cases targeting Taiwan’s military. In January, three members of the New Party were charged with espionage for allegedly receiving Chinese funding. In June, former Naval Education, Training and Doctrine Command General Division commander Chang Pei-ning (張培凝) was sentenced to nearly four years in prison on espionage-related charges.
It is often said that Taiwanese found guilty of spying for China get off far more leniently than their counterparts in China would for the same offenses. Four years in prison would hardly serve as a deterrent for someone who faces the possibility of enriching themselves substantially by cooperating with the Chinese Communist Party. Convicted spies would also likely face a hero’s welcome if they moved to China after being released from a Taiwanese prison.
Reinstating military trials would be a more effective deterrent, as Article 17 of the Criminal Code of the Armed Forces (陸海空軍刑法) says that a person convicted of “committing an act of espionage for an enemy or rendering aid to an enemy’s spy” is subject to a punishment of “death or imprisonment for life.”
Of course, the effectiveness of this deterrent depends on the military’s resolve to enforce it with a heavy hand, and the degree to which corruption has already infiltrated the military.
If lawmakers do not allow the military to deal with its own traitors, then they should amend civilian laws to increase the penalties for spying for China. Politicians and armed forces personnel should have restrictions imposed on them upon assuming duty. For example, it should be expected that all military personnel with authority over subordinates or access to sensitive information, as well as politicians and government personnel, should be prohibited from receiving funds sourced in China, or from traveling to China for five years after leaving their post.
National security concerns trump personal privacy, and such personnel should accept that their banking activities and communications would be monitored to ensure adherence with regulations.
There should be no confusion that China is a military threat and a national security concern, so no public employee or military official has a justifiable reason to have contact with entities in China. Given the opportunity, China would immediately occupy Taiwan, dismantle its democratic institutions and impose limitations on speech, media and personal freedoms. That is why it is imperative that convicted traitors be dealt with severely and without impunity.
China and Russia are known for turning a nation’s democracy against itself. Chinese agents occupy spaces of discourse to sow confusion and discontent, infiltrate protests to intimidate and silence rights advocates, and use political freedoms to develop parties that seek to undermine social stability by sowing confusion and conflating facts.
They take advantage of the comparatively lenient judicial systems that typify democracies. This is why lawmakers must close loopholes and cut off Chinese access to people in Taiwan’s democratic institutions.
Laws must be amended to close the door on Chinese espionage and infiltration.
US political scientist Francis Fukuyama, during an interview with the UK’s Times Radio, reacted to US President Donald Trump’s overturning of decades of US foreign policy by saying that “the chance for serious instability is very great.” That is something of an understatement. Fukuyama said that Trump’s apparent moves to expand US territory and that he “seems to be actively siding with” authoritarian states is concerning, not just for Europe, but also for Taiwan. He said that “if I were China I would see this as a golden opportunity” to annex Taiwan, and that every European country needs to think
Why is Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) not a “happy camper” these days regarding Taiwan? Taiwanese have not become more “CCP friendly” in response to the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) use of spies and graft by the United Front Work Department, intimidation conducted by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the Armed Police/Coast Guard, and endless subversive political warfare measures, including cyber-attacks, economic coercion, and diplomatic isolation. The percentage of Taiwanese that prefer the status quo or prefer moving towards independence continues to rise — 76 percent as of December last year. According to National Chengchi University (NCCU) polling, the Taiwanese
Today is Feb. 28, a day that Taiwan associates with two tragic historical memories. The 228 Incident, which started on Feb. 28, 1947, began from protests sparked by a cigarette seizure that took place the day before in front of the Tianma Tea House in Taipei’s Datong District (大同). It turned into a mass movement that spread across Taiwan. Local gentry asked then-governor general Chen Yi (陳儀) to intervene, but he received contradictory orders. In early March, after Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) dispatched troops to Keelung, a nationwide massacre took place and lasted until May 16, during which many important intellectuals
US President Donald Trump’s return to the White House has brought renewed scrutiny to the Taiwan-US semiconductor relationship with his claim that Taiwan “stole” the US chip business and threats of 100 percent tariffs on foreign-made processors. For Taiwanese and industry leaders, understanding those developments in their full context is crucial while maintaining a clear vision of Taiwan’s role in the global technology ecosystem. The assertion that Taiwan “stole” the US’ semiconductor industry fundamentally misunderstands the evolution of global technology manufacturing. Over the past four decades, Taiwan’s semiconductor industry, led by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), has grown through legitimate means
RSS