The Ministry of National Defense (MND) confirmed Wednesday a media report detailing the alleged leaking of classified documents to Chinese intelligence personnel by a retired Air Force major, characterizing the incident as a case of Chinese infiltration.
The former Air Force officer, identified as Shih Chun- cheng (史濬程), was recruited by China after his retirement in 2008, the Chinese-language Mirror Media reported on Wednesday.
Shih approached then-Air Force Air Intercept Controller Hsu Chan-cheng (許展誠) and persuaded him to leak classified files in exchange for payment, which Shih delivered to his contacts in China, according to the report.
Photo: CNA
The report said that the classified information leaked included the Air Force’s applications of air-launched Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missiles and deployments in response to Chinese military incursions into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone.
In response, the MND said in a statement that the incident came to light in January 2023 when its Department of Strategic Planning filed a report stating that Shih, “pretending to be an American think tank staffer, approached active service members to engage in espionage.”
Prosecutors raided Shih’s residence in August 2024, and he and Hsu were indicted for violations of the National Security Act, the Classified National Security Information Protection Act, and the Anti-Corruption Act in December, according to the statement.
The case is currently being heard by the Taiwan High Court’s Taichung Branch, the MND said.
A source with knowledge of the matter confirmed with CNA on Wednesday that the Mirror Media report accurately identified the types of secret files leaked.
Shih was allegedly paid more than NT$1.5 million (US $45,509) for the documents he provided, NT$200,000 of which he shared with Hsu, according to the source.
The MND said the case shows that Chinese infiltration has never stopped and promised to continue educating officers and soldiers on the issue of espionage, while also working in close collaboration with the country’s national security apparatuses to root out spies.
CAUTION: Based on intelligence from the nation’s security agencies, MOFA has cautioned Taiwanese travelers about heightened safety risks in China-friendly countries The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday urged Taiwanese to be aware of their safety when traveling abroad, especially in countries that are friendly to China. China in June last year issued 22 guidelines that allow its courts to try in absentia and sentence to death so-called “diehard” Taiwanese independence activists, even though Chinese courts have no jurisdiction in Taiwan. Late last month, a senior Chinese official gave closed-door instructions to state security units to implement the guidelines in countries friendly to China, a government memo and a senior Taiwan security official said, based on information gathered by Taiwan’s intelligence agency. The
The National Immigration Agency (NIA) said yesterday that it will revoke the dependent-based residence permit of a Chinese social media influencer who reportedly “openly advocated for [China’s] unification through military force” with Taiwan. The Chinese national, identified by her surname Liu (劉), will have her residence permit revoked in accordance with Article 14 of the “Measures for the permission of family- based residence, long-term residence and settlement of people from the Mainland Area in the Taiwan Area,” the NIA said in a news release. The agency explained it received reports that Liu made “unifying Taiwan through military force” statements on her online
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, said yesterday that it is looking to hire 8,000 people this year, at a time when the tech giant is expanding production capacity to maintain its lead over competitors. To attract talent, TSMC would launch a large-scale recruitment campaign on campuses across Taiwan, where a newly recruited engineer with a master’s degree could expect to receive an average salary of NT$2.2 million (US$60,912), which is much higher than the 2023 national average of NT$709,000 for those in the same category, according to government statistics. TSMC, which accounted for more than 60 percent
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck off Taitung County at 1:09pm today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 53km northeast of Taitung County Hall at a depth of 12.5km, CWA data showed. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Taitung County and Hualien County on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. The quake had an intensity of 3 in Nantou County, Chiayi County, Yunlin County, Kaohsiung and Tainan, the data showed. There were no immediate reports of damage following the quake.
RSS