Former deputy minister of national defense Chang Che-ping (張哲平) on Wednesday denied he had improper contact with Chinese officials after a report in the Chinese-language Mirror Media said that he was part of an espionage probe.
Chang, who is the head of the National Defense University, was deputy minister of national defense from July 2019 to last month, and was previously commander of the air force.
Chang had dined with and received gifts from a Hong Kong-based businessperson surnamed Hsieh (謝), the Mirror Media report said on Wednesday.
The multiyear investigation by the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office and the National Security Bureau is in the final stages, it said.
Investigators uncovered multiple cases of contact between Chinese officials and high-ranking Taiwanese military officers, including generals and colonels from all branches of service, it said, adding that the probe had not yet determined if Beijing had successfully turned any of the officers or obtained secret information from them.
Citing sources involved in security matters, the report said that Hsieh had been active in Taiwan since 2012, and that the plot to turn military personnel had been discovered during a separate national security investigation, which also revealed connections to Hsieh.
Hsieh was tasked by the Chinese Central Military Commission to develop a spy network in Taiwan, and had attempted to make contact with retired officers at social events, it said.
Hsieh had reportedly met with Chang on several occasions, including at a restaurant in New Taipei City’s Sindian District (新店), it said.
The potentially improper contacts include meals and meetings, and Chang’s wife had traveled to Hong Kong with Hsieh, it said.
Chang said the report is based on “sheer speculation” and that his wife’s travels in China were paid out of pocket.
He had followed military ethics guidelines at all social events and in interactions with classmates, retired colleagues and friends, he said, adding that he “absolutely committed no illegalities in speech or action.”
A Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office spokesperson confirmed the existence of such an investigation, but said that Chang was not listed as a defendant in the case.
CAUTION: Based on intelligence from the nation’s security agencies, MOFA has cautioned Taiwanese travelers about heightened safety risks in China-friendly countries The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday urged Taiwanese to be aware of their safety when traveling abroad, especially in countries that are friendly to China. China in June last year issued 22 guidelines that allow its courts to try in absentia and sentence to death so-called “diehard” Taiwanese independence activists, even though Chinese courts have no jurisdiction in Taiwan. Late last month, a senior Chinese official gave closed-door instructions to state security units to implement the guidelines in countries friendly to China, a government memo and a senior Taiwan security official said, based on information gathered by Taiwan’s intelligence agency. The
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, said yesterday that it is looking to hire 8,000 people this year, at a time when the tech giant is expanding production capacity to maintain its lead over competitors. To attract talent, TSMC would launch a large-scale recruitment campaign on campuses across Taiwan, where a newly recruited engineer with a master’s degree could expect to receive an average salary of NT$2.2 million (US$60,912), which is much higher than the 2023 national average of NT$709,000 for those in the same category, according to government statistics. TSMC, which accounted for more than 60 percent
The National Immigration Agency (NIA) said yesterday that it will revoke the dependent-based residence permit of a Chinese social media influencer who reportedly “openly advocated for [China’s] unification through military force” with Taiwan. The Chinese national, identified by her surname Liu (劉), will have her residence permit revoked in accordance with Article 14 of the “Measures for the permission of family- based residence, long-term residence and settlement of people from the Mainland Area in the Taiwan Area,” the NIA said in a news release. The agency explained it received reports that Liu made “unifying Taiwan through military force” statements on her online
Tung Tzu-hsien (童子賢), a Taiwanese businessman and deputy convener of the nation’s National Climate Change Committee, said yesterday that “electrical power is national power” and nuclear energy is “very important to Taiwan.” Tung made the remarks, suggesting that his views do not align with the country’s current official policy of phasing out nuclear energy, at a forum organized by the Taiwan People’s Party titled “Challenges and Prospects of Taiwan’s AI Industry and Energy Policy.” “Taiwan is currently pursuing industries with high added- value and is developing vigorously, and this all requires electricity,” said the chairman
RSS