Military personnel who betray the nation for personal gain “should face the harshest punishment,” the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday.
The statement came after a former soldier was indicted on charges including contraventions of the National Security Act (國家安全法) and Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例) for allegedly leaking classified information to a Chinese intelligence operative.
The former soldier, surnamed Lin (林), allegedly met a Chinese female operative online after being discharged from the navy’s Hai Feng Shore-Based Anti-Ship Missile Group, which is equipped with the domestically developed Hsiung Feng II and Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missiles, and their extended-range variants, prosecutors said.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of National Defense
Lin allegedly recruited another soldier, surnamed Tsai (蔡), to provide his personal information and photograph the Hsiung Feng II missile operation manual, they said.
Tsai allegedly received NT$8,000 for providing his personal information and NT$30,000 for the missile operation manual, while Lin allegedly received NT$38,000 for passing on the information to the Chinese agent, prosecutors said.
The two suspects were indicted separately on charges of bribery and contravening the National Security Act, prosecutors said.
The ministry said it has implemented damage-control measures by modifying and terminating affected projects to limit the impact of the leaked information.
The Political Warfare Bureau in July 2023 received a tip about the case, which was then referred to the National Security Bureau and the Investigation Bureau for a joint probe, the ministry said.
The probe was coordinated with the Taichung branch of the High Prosecutors’ Office, successfully dismantling the espionage network, it said.
The ministry has established a “classified access qualification certification” mechanism for all service members, setting security clearance levels according to assignment sensitivity and the degree of classified material involved, the ministry said.
The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) infiltration efforts against Taiwan have been persistent, the ministry said, adding that it would improve counter-intelligence education, raise troops’ security awareness and patriotism, and coordinate closely with the national security team to enhance overall defense resilience.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) yesterday urged the government to impose tougher penalties for early-stage national security offenses in the military, saying that Chinese intelligence networks often first ask recruits for seemingly harmless information to lower their guard.
Although Tsai’s personal information and the missile operation manual were not “classified” information, the leak still posed a serious security risk, Wang said.
Receiving payment for such materials constitutes corruption, he said, calling for amendments to the National Security Act to impose harsher penalties for early-stage offenses that could lead to major national security breaches.
Failing to act would allow the CCP’s espionage networks to take root within the military, Wang said.
Military education must be improved to help service members identify security risks and understand that the National Security Act, the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), and the Criminal Code carry severe penalties for treasonous acts, he said.
The navy’s Hai Feng Shore-Based Anti-Ship Missile Group is as a key coastal defense force deterring potential Chinese invasion attempts, Wang said.
The unit, equipped with Hsiung Feng II and Hsiung Feng III missiles, extended-range variants and Harpoon shore-based missiles, is to be reorganized as the Littoral Combat Command starting on Jan. 1, making it a prime target for Chinese infiltration, he added.
The Military Security Brigade, a counterintelligence agency, has expanded its personnel to not only conduct research, but also maintain full situational awareness of potential threats, Wang said.
Calling the case “heartbreaking,” he condemned Lin’s and Tsai’s alleged actions as despicable betrayals deserving the harshest punishments, adding that military personnel must be loyal to the nation legally and morally.
Institute for National Defense and Security Research researcher Shen Ming-shih (沈明室) said that a soldier being bribed with just NT$38,000 revealed dangerously weak counterintelligence awareness.
This showed that confidentiality training and counterespionage education have not been effectively implemented — an issue that must be addressed, he said.
The storage and prevention of leaks involving non-classified, but sensitive information is critically important, Shen said, adding that there should be clear regulations on the responsibilities and consequences of leaking such information.
Some soldiers might be exploited due to personal weaknesses or mistakenly believing that if a document is not explicitly labeled “classified,” it is acceptable to share, he said.
This reflects a lack of awareness of the threat posed by enemy forces and inadequate counterintelligence vigilance, which could lead to sensitive data falling into hostile hands, he added.
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