Two current and former air force members were indicted at the end of last year on suspicion of selling classified information to China, the Taichung branch of the High Prosecutors’ Office announced today, after Chinese-language media broke the story earlier in the day.
The case centers on a former air force pilot surnamed Shi (史), who was allegedly recruited by Chinese intelligence operatives after retiring, and an active-duty controller he allegedly recruited surnamed Hsu (許), the office said.
After the investigation concluded in December last year, prosecutors indicted Shi and Hsu on contraventions of the National Security Act (國安法) and other laws, it said.
Photo: EPA-EFE / Ministry of National Defense
The closed trial is ongoing at the Taichung branch of the Taiwan High Court, it added.
Shi, who retired from the air force in 2008, was allegedly approached by Chinese intelligence agents to recruit members of Taiwan’s armed forces and collect military secrets, reports said.
In 2021, Shi allegedly contacted Hsu, who served in the air force’s Combatant Command as an interception controller, posing as someone with connections to the US military, reports said.
After persuading Hsu to join him, he allegedly promised financial rewards in return for confidential information about the military’s response to harassment by Chinese aircraft, reports said.
Hsu reportedly provided information on air force training and exercises, in addition to confidential information on the use of Hsiung Feng III (Brave Wind III, 雄風) missiles.
Shi then reportedly passed information to Chinese personnel, receiving NT$1.5 million (US$49,425) in “company bonuses,” NT$200,000 of which he passed to Hsu, reports said.
In August last year, the Taichung branch of the High Prosecutors’ Office reportedly directed a team to search Shi’s home, seizing several electronics and other items, which led them to Hsu’s involvement in the case.
Both men confessed during interrogations, leading prosecutors to request both be detained, reports said.
Shi was released on bail of NT$100,000 last week, while Hsu remains in detention.
The Ministry of National Defense today said it had already investigated the case and referred it to prosecutors.
The ministry also said it has taken measures to reduce damage from infiltration attempts, and that China’s attempts to access Taiwan’s state secrets have not stopped.
In 2023, the Political Warfare Bureau received reports from personnel that a man surnamed Shi was pretending to be part of a US think tank in an attempt to contact active personnel and gather intelligence, the ministry said.
The ministry then coordinated with the National Security Bureau and Military Police to conduct an investigation, it added.
In August last year, the case was reported to the Taichung branch of the High Prosecutors’ Office, leading to charges against the defendants for contraventions of the National Security Act, the Classified National Security Information Protection Act (國密法) and the Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例), it said.
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