A court in Taipei sentences soldiers who betrayed their country by leaking classified military information to China’s intelligence agents.
A Taiwanese court has sentenced four soldiers, including three members of the president’s security team, to prison for espionage on behalf of China. The men, convicted of breaching the national security law, were found guilty of passing sensitive military information to Chinese agents between 2022 and 2024. The court in Taipei announced the sentences on Wednesday.
The three soldiers from the Presidential Office’s security unit and a fourth from the Defence Ministry’s information and telecommunications command were caught sharing confidential data, which included photographing documents with their mobile phones. The payments they received for these acts ranged from NT$260,000 to NT$660,000 (approximately $7,850 to $20,000).
The court stated that these individuals worked in “highly sensitive roles” but chose to betray their duties for financial gain, endangering Taiwan’s national security. Their actions, the court noted, were a direct betrayal of the country.
Their jail terms range from five years and 10 months to seven years. These convictions come amid an increasing crackdown on espionage, as Taiwan’s military and intelligence agencies intensify efforts to counter infiltration by Chinese agents. Over the past few years, the number of individuals prosecuted for spying for China has grown significantly, with many being members of Taiwan’s military recruited by Beijing.
China has long claimed Taiwan as its territory and has repeatedly threatened to annex the island, with espionage seen as a crucial tool in their strategy. Taiwan’s president, Lai Ching-te, recently labelled China as a “foreign hostile power” and introduced new countermeasures to strengthen national security.
The rising number of espionage cases has raised concerns about Taiwan’s vulnerability, with some experts suggesting that the relatively low bribes offered to spies reflect broader issues within Taiwan’s military system, including dissatisfaction with career progression and military conditions.
Taiwan’s intelligence agency reported that 64 people were prosecuted for espionage in 2024, compared to 48 the year before. The situation highlights the growing problem of espionage, as both China and Taiwan have been engaged in long-running surveillance of each other, with Taiwan now facing the greater threat of potential Chinese aggression.
