An investigation into New Party Youth Corps members was launched because Wang Ping-chung (王炳忠) is suspected of attempting to create a paramilitary organization to destabilize Taiwan with financial backing from China, political and national security experts said yesterday.
Media personality and political pundit Clara Chou (周玉蔻) made the allegation during a talk show on Thursday, saying she had information that one of Wang’s family members recently received NT$5 million (US$166,845) in a bank account and she believes that the money came from China.
The New Party, through Wang and his colleagues’ efforts, “has established a paramilitary organization in Taiwan, which was set up on behalf of the Chinese government. The members would be receiving military training. Its purpose is to spring into action in the event of a conflict between Taiwan and China,” Chou said.
“All the information points to Wang and his New Party colleagues having contravened the National Security Act (國家安全法). They are being investigated because reports indicated they were developing networks and organizations in Taiwan under the guidance of the Chinese Communist Party,” she said.
National security expert and retired army colonel Tseng Miao-hung (曾淼泓) concurred with Chou’s information, saying that top-level intelligence reports indicate that China has been active in establishing paramilitary organizations and political warfare units, and offering financial backing to unification parties in Taiwan.
“The judiciary and law enforcement agencies must work together to uncover the extent of the recruitment and penetration into Taiwanese government and military agencies, and uproot them. The New Party’s paramilitary organization is only one of China’s proxies that forms part of their ‘united front’ works against Taiwan,” said Tseng, who specializes in military intelligence and warfare information, and formerly headed National Defense University’s computer center.
“China’s proxy groups in Taiwan receive regular funding through indirect channels and some have been trained by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army [PLA] to conduct unification political campaigns and espionage, recruit government and military officials, and entice them to pass on classified information,” he said.
“China’s paramilitary organizations, or ‘fifth column troops,’ are concealed as ‘sleeper cells’ conducting underground activities most of the time, but when military conflict arises, such as China trying to invade Taiwan, then these organizations and personnel are expected to spring into action in coordination with the PLA,” Tseng said. “Their mission is to carry out advanced strikes, such as destroying or disabling Taiwan’s telecommunication lines, power plants, main transportation routes and bridges, as well as other vital infrastructure.”
DPP Legislator Wang Ding-yu (王定宇) talked about the case on the talk show with Chou, saying prosecutors must have had sufficient evidence against New Party members to be able to carry out Tuesday’s arrests.
The behind-the-scenes work has been going on for more than one year and the investigation was focused on national security breaches, he said.
“From what I have gathered, they contravened Article 2-1 of the National Security Act, which prohibits the collection and delivery of confidential documents, images or information, or developing an organization for China or for another foreign country,” he said.
At a news conference in Taipei yesterday, Wang Ping-chung downplayed Chou’s allegations.
“I do not know what her source of information is. Prosecutors did not present any information about this,” Wang said.
Separately yesterday, Minister of Justice Chiu Tai-san (邱太三), when asked if he knew about Chou’s allegations, said: “No, I have no information and cannot comment on any individual case.”
Additional reporting by Stacy Hsu
OFFLINE: People who do not wish to register can get the money from select ATMs using their bank card, ID number and National Health Insurance card number Online registration for NT$6,000 (US$196.32) cash payments drawn from last year’s tax surplus is to open today for eligible people whose national ID or permanent residency number ends in either a zero or a one, the Ministry of Finance said on Monday. Officials from the ministry revealed which days Taiwanese and eligible foreigners would be able to register for the cash payments at a joint news conference with the Ministry of Digital Affairs. Online registration is to open tomorrow for those whose number ends in a two or three; on Friday for those that end in a four or five: on Saturday
Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) officials are investigating why a Starlux Airlines flight to Penang, Malaysia, returned to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport nearly two hours after takeoff yesterday morning. The airline said in a statement that Flight JX721 to Penang took off from Taoyuan airport at 9:20am. “After the dashboard showed a signal of an abnormality in the hydraulic system, the captain followed standard operating procedures and returned the flight to Taoyuan airport for safety precautions,” the airline said, adding that the flight landed safely at the airport at 11:04am. The airline arranged for the passengers to have lunch after the flight landed and
TECH PROGRAM: A US official said that an important part of the delegation’s trip would be to meet with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co executives The US is to send officials in charge of chip development to Taiwan, Japan and South Korea to promote cooperation in the global semiconductor supply chain, the US Department of Commerce said on Tuesday. Chips Program Office Director Michael Schmidt announced the visit, which marks the first time officials from the office are to visit the three nations since it was set up in September last year. “As semiconductors and technologies continue to evolve, the United States will keep working with allies and partners to develop coordinated strategies to ensure that malign actors cannot use the latest technologies to undermine our collective
WORKING UP AN APPETITE: Sales at the Rueifong Night Market surged 20 to 30 percent, while seats at Liouhe Night Market were packed until 1am, market officials said South Korean pop band Blackpink’s concerts over the weekend in Kaohsiung helped draw large crowds to local night markets, the Kaohsiung City Government said yesterday. The two concerts on Saturday and Sunday at Kaohsiung National Stadium drew more than 90,000 people. The city government offered NT$50 vouchers to spend locally to concertgoers who showed their ticket stubs. Liouhe Night Market (六合夜市) management committee head Chuang Chi-chang (莊其章) said that crowds over the weekend surged at about 10pm and the market remained packed until 1:30am. “Almost all the seats were filled,” Chuang said. Night market stall owners had stocked up in expectation of an increased number