Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators yesterday called for an investigation into the alleged involvement of former legislative assistant Chen Wei-jen (陳惟仁) in the sending of suspicious packages from China to several countries.
“Reliable sources” in Japan’s security sector have said that the post office account connected to the delivery of the mysterious packages is allegedly linked to Chen, DPP Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) said.
The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office on Aug. 13 indicted Chen and two other former legislative assistants for contravening the National Security Act (國家安全法) for allegedly collecting classified materials and meeting minutes from the Legislative Yuan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Mainland Affairs Council, and passing on lists of government personnel and reporters to Chinese intelligence officials.
Photo: CNA
Chen is free on NT$100,000 bail, but he is barred from leaving the country.
People around the world have been receiving mysterious packages containing used masks, seeds and soil for many years, but some of the more recent packages have been sent from Taiwan.
Investigations by national security agencies have concluded that packages originating from Taiwan are part of Chinese efforts to drive a wedge between Taiwan and the international community, Wang said.
That packages addressed to Chen are still being processed as normal mail demonstrate carelessness, he said.
Citing Customs Administration data, DPP Legislator Michelle Lin (林楚茵), said 198 “mystery” packages passed through Taiwan from January to last month, most of which were processed by the agency and the Council of Agriculture, but national security agencies should also be involved.
If a connection between Chen and “Huang Guanlong” (黃冠龍), an alias reportedly used by a Chinese official who is Chen’s alleged handler, can be established, it should be considered new evidence in the espionage case and Chen’s bail should be rescinded, DPP Legislator Chao Tien-lin (趙天麟) said.
Chao urged an in-depth investigation be launched, as such a collaboration could see the Chinese launch a terrorist-like attack on another country, but with Taiwan bearing the brunt of the fallout.
The Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau said it is looking into the transmission of the packages.
Additional reporting by CNA
CREDIT-GRABBER: China said its coast guard rescued the crew of a fishing vessel that caught fire, who were actually rescued by a nearby Taiwanese boat and the CGA Maritime search and rescue operations do not have borders, and China should not use a shipwreck to infringe upon Taiwanese sovereignty, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said yesterday. The coast guard made the statement in response to the China Coast Guard (CCG) saying it saved a Taiwanese fishing boat. The Chuan Yu No. 6 (全漁6號), a fishing vessel registered in Keelung, on Thursday caught fire and sank in waters northeast of Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台). The vessel left Keelung’s Badouzih Fishing Harbor (八斗子漁港) at 3:35pm on Sunday last week, with seven people on board — a 62-year-old Taiwanese captain surnamed Chang (張) and six
LEVERAGE: China did not ‘need to fire a shot’ to deny Taiwan airspace over Africa when it owns ‘half the continent’s debt,’ a US official said, calling it economic warfare The EU has raised concerns about overflight rights following the delay of President William Lai’s (賴清德) planned state visit to the Kingdom of Eswatini after three African nations denied overflight clearance for his charter at the last minute. Taiwanese allies Paraguay and Saint Kitts and Nevis, as well as several US lawmakers and the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) condemned China for allegedly pressuring the countries. Lai was scheduled to fly directly to Taiwan’s only African ally from yesterday to Sunday to celebrate the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III’s accession and his 58th birthday, but Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar suddenly revoked
RISKY BUSINESS: The ‘incentives’ include initiatives that get suspended for no reason, creating uncertainty and resulting in considerable losses for Taiwanese, the MAC said China’s “incentives” failed to sway sentiment in Taiwan, as willingness to work in China hit a record low of 1.6 percent, a Ministry of Labor survey showed. The Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) also reported that the number of Taiwanese workers in China has nearly halved from a peak of 430,000 in 2012 to an estimated 231,000 in 2024. That marked a new low in the proportion of Taiwanese going abroad to work. The ministry’s annual survey on “Labor Life and Employment Status” includes questions respondents’ willingness to seek employment overseas. Willingness to work in China has steadily declined from
The number of pet cats in Taiwan surpassed that of pet dogs for the first time last year, reaching 1,742,033, a 32.8 percent increase from 2023, the Ministry of Agriculture said yesterday, citing a survey. By contrast, the number of pet dogs declined slightly by 1.2 percent over the same period to 1,462,528, the ministry said. Despite the shift, households with dogs still slightly outnumber those with cats by 1.2 percent. However, while the number of households with multiple dogs has remained relatively stable, households keeping more than two cats have increased, contributing to the overall rise in the feline population. The trend
RSS