Public prosecutors yesterday indicted a Taiwanese and a Chinese national on charges of funneling money from Chinese sources to fund a Labor Party candidate running for New Taipei City councilor in 2022’s local elections.
New Taipei City prosecutors charged Sun Chih-chuan (孫志全), deputy chairman of the Taiwan-based Chinese Youth Development Union, and Dong Dachi (董笪琦), a Chinese executive at the Federation of Hong Kong Jiangsu Youth, with contravening the Anti-Infiltration Act (反滲透法) and the Political Donations Act (政治獻金法).
Evidence indicated that Sun and Dong, using a complex route to hide the Chinese source of funding, transferred about NT$430,000 to fund the election campaign of Wang Cheng (王正), the pro-China unification Labor Party candidate, prosecutors said in a filing.
Photo: Wang Ting-chuan, Taipei Times
Sun and Dong are listed as suspects who allegedly made illegal election donations, promoted infiltration by foreign hostile forces (usually referred to as those based in China and Hong Kong), worked to subvert Taiwan’s national security and social stability, and undermined Taiwan’s sovereignty and democratic constitutional order, as stipulated in the Anti-Infiltration Act.
Prosecutors have also filed separate charges against Wang and his sister Wang Li (王立), accusing them of breaching the Political Donations Act by facilitating and accepting money from Chinese sources.
An investigation showed that Sun and Dong allegedly colluded to transfer 100,000 yuan (US$13,895 at the current exchange rate) in September 2022, with the money coming from Sun’s father-in-law, who owns a trading company. The money was listed on the company’s books as payment for procurement of chemical materials, but it went to Dong’s bank account in Hong Kong. Dong then wired the money to Wang Li to fund for her brother’s election campaign, investigators said.
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A Taiwanese academic yesterday said that Chinese Ambassador to Denmark Wang Xuefeng (王雪峰) disrespected Denmark and Japan when he earlier this year allegedly asked Japan’s embassy to make Taiwan’s representatives leave an event in Copenhagen. The Danish-language Berlingske on Sunday reported the incident in an article with the headline “The emperor’s birthday ended in drama in Copenhagen: More conflict may be on the way between Denmark and China.” It said that on Feb. 26, the Japanese embassy in Denmark held an event for Japanese Emperor Naruhito’s birthday, with about 200 guests in attendance, including representatives from Taiwan. After addressing the Japanese hosts, Wang
One of two tropical depressions that formed offshore this morning could turn into a moderate typhoon by the weekend, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today. Tropical Depression No. 21 formed at 8am about 1,850km off the southeast coast, CWA forecaster Lee Meng-hsuan (李孟軒) said. It is expected to move in a northwesterly direction as it continues building momentum, possibly intensifying into Typhoon Mitag this weekend, she added. The radius of the storm is expected to reach almost 200km, she said. It is expected to approach southeast of Taiwan on Monday and pass through the Bashi Channel between Tuesday and Wednesday,
About nine Taiwanese are “disappeared,” detained, or otherwise deprived of freedom of movement in China each month, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. Between Jan. 1 last year and Aug. 31 this year, 188 Taiwanese travelers went missing, were detained and interrogated, or had their personal freedom restricted, with some questioned in airports or hotel lobbies, the council said. In a statement ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the council urged people visiting China for any reason to be highly vigilant and aware of the risks. Of the reported cases, 50 people were “disappeared” after entering China, 19 were detained and 119 had