The Ministry of Justice yesterday rebutted a newspaper report saying that it had proposed offering large rewards to people who informed on Chinese spies.
Deputy Minister of Justice Huang Shih-ming (黃世銘) told a press conference that the ministry had not held any meetings to discuss rewarding people who informed the government about Chinese espionage activity.
The Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper) yesterday reported that the ministry had suggested offering a maximum of NT$15 million (US$430,000) for such tips.
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
The report said the ministry and its Investigation Bureau were concerned that Chinese espionage was becoming rampant and was a major threat to national security.
The Liberty Times report said the ministry believed the reward offer would help crack down on such spies.
Meanwhile, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus whip Pan Meng-an (潘孟安) told a seperate press conference that if the ministry had such a measure, he would report President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) to the ministry for his activities.
“Ma promoted his diplomatic truce with China and a reduction in national defense. He has allowed Taiwan’s capital and high technology to enter China and has said Chinese leaders are sincere, even as they increase the number of missiles aimed at Taiwan,” Pan said.
Premier Liu Chao-shiuan (劉兆玄) and Straits Exchange Foundation Chairman Chiang Pin-kung (江丙坤) should also be investigated for “promoting and leaking information related to high technology to China,” Pan said.
Former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and KMT Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄), who have visited China and met senior Chinese officials, should also be investigated, he said.
Chinese espionage has been a hot topic since Wang Ren-bing (王仁炳), a senior specialist at the Presidential Office, was detained on Jan. 16 for allegedly handing over classified documents between March and April last year to his friend Chen Pin-jen (陳品仁), who allegedly gave them to Chinese intelligence officers.
Asked for comment, KMT Legislator Wu Yu-sheng (吳育昇) backed the idea of cash rewards for people who reported suspected Chinese spying activity. Wu said it was everyone’s responsibility to defend the country.
KMT Legislator Wu Ching-chih (吳清池), however, disagreed, saying such a move might harm cross-strait relations.
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