The Ministry of National Defense (MND) yesterday confirmed that four active duty personnel and two retired officers are under investigation in connection with a case involving allegations that New Party spokesman Wang Ping-chung (王炳忠) tried to develop media and espionage networks with financial backing from the Chinese government.
“There are four people on active duty and two retired officers who have been summoned for the investigation and were questioned as witnesses. As of now, there is no indication of their involvement in the case,” spokesman Major General Chen Chung-chi (陳中吉) said in response to questions during a regular news conference at the ministry.
From his understanding, the four men on active duty had “liked” posts by Wang on Facebook and other social media platforms, he said.
Photo: CNA
Since the case is under judicial investigation, Chen said he could not divulge the ranks of those who were questioned, and he also declined to reveal their assigned units.
All military personnel are schooled on safeguarding national security, espionage activities by China and how Chinese spies conduct their work, he said.
“Additional courses are also given to officers who are nearing retirement,” Chen said. “We provide examples from previous spy cases to show how Chinese operatives enticed former officers, including offering money, beautiful women for sex, business opportunities, helping to alleviate financial problems and even blackmail and threats.”
According to the investigation by the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) allegedly promised to pay Wang NT$15 million (US$506,757) per year to operate the Web site Fire News (燎原新聞網), which he launched in 2014 with its registered address at the New Party’s Taipei headquarters.
Prosecutors said Chinese national Zhou Hongxu (周泓旭), who was on Sept. 15 last year convicted on espionage charges, acted as a consultant to promote the Web site.
The two men allegedly organized seminars and group events to recruit Taiwanese for Chinese government networks and to pass on sensitive materials, the prosecutors’ office said.
Wang was arrested and questioned last month in connection with Zhou’s espionage case along with fellow New Party Youth Corps members Hou Han-ting (侯漢廷), Lin Ming-cheng (林明正) and Chen Ssu-chun (陳斯俊).
According to investigators, Zhou was instructed by the TAO to recruit current and retired military personnel through Wang as part of an operation codenamed “Star Fire T Project” (星火T計劃), which offered financial rewards depending on the value and level of the contacts.
Prosecutors said that Hou and Lin provided personal information on the six men for Zhou to use in recruitment efforts, while Wang and Chen had reportedly encouraged young people to sign up for military schools with the aim that they might become spies or moles and perhaps even rise to become high-ranking officers.
In related news, Taipei prosecutors yesterday confirmed that members of the public have filed legal complaints against Wang and two other New Party members for allegedly violating the National Security Act (國家安全法), and that a separate investigation against them has been launched.
It was also reported that prosecutors are investigating the source and channels of distribution of the alleged TAO funding for Fire News and additional activities, along with the allegation that Wang’s father had received US$20,000 in cash from the TAO, but “lost it.”
Investigators reportedly have evidence that Lin received monthly bank deposits of NT$25,000, which matched the amount listed by Zhou in his Fire News 2015 Year-end Working Report, and that information from files in Zhou’s computer had been corroborated by files found in possession of the four arrested New Party members.
Prosecutors said the material pointed to the men’s close cooperation in developing networks funded by China, which would contravene the National Security Act.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old