Retired major-general Hsu Nai-chuan (許乃權), who ran unsuccessfully for Kinmen County commissioner on Saturday, was taken in for questioning yesterday after law enforcement agents raided his home and campaign office over alleged links to a Chinese espionage ring operating inside the military.
Hsu is the latest high-ranking former military officer to be questioned in a widening investigation that involves at least 10 retired and active military personnel suspected of working for a Chinese espionage network.
Agents from the Ministry of Justice’s Investigation Bureau also raided other places in New Taipei City, Hsinchu and Pingtung countries in a coordinated action by the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
Hsu denied being involved in any espionage activities.
Hsu served as a commander at Kinmen’s garrison, a commander in the military academy and in charge of defense on Matsu Island.
After retiring from the military in 2007, Hsu was appointed head of the Kinmen County Government’s Social Affairs Bureau.
Hsu and other military officers are suspected of working for Zhen Xiaojiang (鎮小江), who is said to be stationed in Xiamen City in China’s Fujian Province, where he now works for China’s intelligence agency after formerly holding a senior military post in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
Investigators said Zhen had visited Taiwan numerous times to set up contacts and recruit active and retired Taiwanese military men to form a spy network.
Zhen reportedly recruited up to 10 military men, with the promise of money, pleasure junket trips and other inducements.
Investigators alleged that Zhen and the spies he recruited passed on classified information to China, including that on the Mirage 200 airplane, an ultra-high-frequency radar installation in Hsinchu’s Leshan (樂山) and on Taiwan’s procurement of advanced weaponry from the US.
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