Prosecutors have indicted seven retired military officers, members of the Rehabilitation Alliance Party, for allegedly obtaining funds from China, and forming paramilitary groups and assassination squads in Taiwan to collaborate with Chinese troops in a possible war.
The suspects contravened the National Security Act (國家安全法) by taking photos and drawing maps of key radar stations, missile installations and the American Institute in Taiwan’s headquarters in Taipei, prosecutors said.
They allegedly prepared to collaborate with China during a possible invasion of Taiwan, prosecutors said.
Photo: screen grab from the Ministry of the Interior Web site
Retired military officer Chu Hung-i (屈宏義), 62, a Republic of China Army Academy graduate, went to China for business after his retirement, they said.
Chu in 2019 linked up with a man surnamed Zhang (張), a Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) officer, and agreed to set up a spy network and engage in political activities in Taiwan, they said.
Chu later founded the Rehabilitation Alliance Party, they said.
The party’s slogan was “Revival of the Chinese nation, peace and happiness for all people,” they said.
The Taiwan High Court’s Taichung branch is overseeing the case. In addition to the National Security Act, the suspects are also accused of contravening the Anti-Infiltration Act (反滲透法). They are in detention pending trial.
Chu had allegedly obtained about NT$3 million (US$91,233) in funds for operations in Taiwan, prosecutors said, adding that it included NT$1.8 million he received via WeChat, NT$670,000 wired from unregistered remittance services and money he brought back from China.
The suspects prepared plans to recruit active and retired army personnel to establish a pro-China party, prosecutors said.
They formed spy networks and paramilitary groups, including snipers and assassination squads to kill government officials and politicians during a possible Chinese invasion, they said.
They waited as a sleeper cell to start an insurrection and infiltrate 100,000 PLA members into Taiwan, they said.
This is a very serious case of collusion with China, prosecutors said.
If the suspects are found guilty, they would lose their retirement pension according to Article 13 of the National Security Act, Mainland Affairs Council officials said.
Ministry of the Interior officials said the ministry would ask the Constitutional Court to dissolve the Rehabilitation Alliance Party.
‘NO SECURITY RISK’: The Railway Bureau reassured the public that the technicians’ activities were limited to technical guidance and did not involve sensitive systems The Railway Bureau yesterday said it had invited eight Chinese technicians to assist with an airport MRT construction project. The bureau issued the confirmation after an Internet user said Chinese nationals had entered the construction zone of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport’s Terminal 3 project. They asked why “individuals from an enemy state” were allowed access to such a major national infrastructure project, which raised serious concerns over Taiwan’s industrial safety, sensitive systems and information security. The bureau’s Northern Region Engineering Branch Office said subcontractor Taiwan Handle Industrial Co (台灣手把工業) of the Taoyuan airport MRT’s “Contract No. CU05 Project A14 Station Civil, MEP &
A US uncrewed surface vessel (USV) encountered multiple Chinese warships during an autonomous transit of the Taiwan Strait, US defense company Seasats said in a statement on Wednesday. Seasats announced that a Lightfish USV had completed the first autonomous transit of the Taiwan Strait. Over five days, the USV traversed the entire length of the Strait while constantly monitoring surface vessel traffic, the company said. The Lightfish encountered multiple Chinese warships, one of which was a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Type 056 corvette, it said. The Chinese vessels were operating “well within Taiwan’s exclusive economic zone without transmitting their identity via the
‘BOOMING’: ’ The number of partners we have here is incredible. You can see from their stock prices. They’re doing so well, they’re so happy,’ Jensen Huang said Nvidia Corp’s spending in Taiwan has ballooned to about US$150 billion a year, 10 times the US$10 billion to US$15 billion the company spent five years ago, Nvidia chief executive officer Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) said yesterday, suggesting Taiwan’s strategic importance in the global artificial intelligence (AI) supply chain. “Taiwan is the epicenter of the AI revolution. This is where the chips come, packaging comes. This is where the systems are made. This is where AI supercomputers were created,” Huang said at a meeting for the company’s employees in Beitou-Shilin Technology Park (北投士林科技園區) in Taipei, the planned site of Nvidia’s Taipei headquarters. “Taiwan
GREATER REACH? Auto parts and wood products would face tariffs of up to 15%, matching those targeting the EU, Japan and South Korea, Vice Premier said The US has announced that preferential tariff treatment for Taiwan’s non-semiconductor Section 232 goods would take effect retroactively from May 1, the Executive Yuan said yesterday. The US government yesterday posted a notice on the Federal Register’s public inspection Web site previewing tariff concessions for Taiwan under a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Taiwan-US investment after two months of negotiations. The MOU signed on Jan. 15 stipulated three major preferential tariff arrangements: a 15 percent “reciprocal” tariff rate for Taiwan without stacking most-favored nation (MFN) rates; preferential Section 232 treatment for semiconductors and related products; and preferential Section 232 treatment for non-semiconductor