Retired lieutenant general James Liu (劉湘濱) in an exclusive interview with the Liberty Times (Taipei Times’ sister newspaper) published yesterday blasted China’s attempts at espionage as “unprofessional,” saying he was infuriated over the alleged abuse of trust by retired lieutenant general Kao An-kuo (高安國), who he said tried to recruit him for his pro-unification network.
Liu, who also served as National Security Council secretary-general and deputy commanding general of the army, said he had only met Kao twice in the past four decades, once on Sept. 8, 2023, and again on April 24 last year.
Both visits were sudden, with the first being an invitation to meet, and the second due to Kao wanting to ask Liu’s opinions about resolving cross-strait tensions and maintaining peace, Liu said.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
He attended the first meeting out of respect for a former officer, he said.
During the second, he provided Kao with copies of documents he had published before, he said.
Liu said that he was unaware that Kao had allegedly been turned by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), only becoming aware later that Kao had listed him as the head of strategy and planning for his “Anti-Independence and Pro-Unification Coalition.”
“I was infuriated that both meetings were premeditated efforts to convince others that I was part of his group,” he said.
Those recruited by the CCP, including retired military officers, are as despicable as cockroaches, Liu said, adding that such incidents also reflect poorly on the military.
Commenting on the fourfold increase in media coverage of CCP spy cases involving the military last year, Liu said it also reflects Taiwan’s poor counterintelligence.
Asked how Kao, a decorated officer whose father had fought against the CCP during the Chinese Civil War, might have been turned, Liu said it was an issue of money.
If the CCP had not offered cash, Kao would not be turned, Liu said.
Chinese intelligence relies on honey traps and bribes to tempt retired military officers, who should distance themselves from such temptations, he said.
Retired military personnel should be alert if former colleagues with whom they had long fallen out of contact suddenly visit, Liu said, adding that any wish to offer expertise to better the nation should be expressed via proper channels.
Mainland Council Affairs Deputy Minister and spokesman Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) on Thursday said it was concerning that 85 percent of national security-related incidents involved retired military and police officers.
Kao was charged on Monday with breaching the National Security Act (國家安全法), becoming the highest-ranked retired military officer to be accused of treason.
The Kao case is similar to the Rehabilitation Alliance, founded by 62-year-old retired military officer Chu Hung-i (屈宏義), who has been accused of recruiting retired army personnel to develop organizations in Taiwan for China, Liang said.
Liang called on the judiciary and prosecution to give such cases greater attention, as they suggest direct CCP involvement.
Additional reporting by Chen Yu-fu
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