Taiwan reports 'significant rise' in suspected Chinese espionage

Taipei: Taiwanese charged with suspicion of spying on behalf of China rose by a third to 64 people last year, the island's National Security Bureau said, adding most were current or retired soldiers.

China has stepped up political and military pressure in recent years to back its claim that democratically governed Taiwan is its own territory. This has included daily military drills, balloons near the island and an espionage campaign.

The increase in the number of Taiwanese charged with attempted espionage for China represented a "significant rise" from 48 and 10 people in 2023 and 2022, respectively, according to a report by the National Security Bureau on Sunday.

The report did not provide an explanation for the increase in cases.

"The Chinese Communist Party continues to use diverse channels and means to infiltrate all walks of life in order to absorb citizens to help them develop networks or gather sensitive government information," the report said.

China's Taiwan Affairs Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Among those who were charged last year, two-thirds were current or retired members of the armed forces, the report said, adding these demographics were the "main target" of China's infiltration of Taiwan.

Through criminal gangs, underground banks and religious groups, some retired soldiers tried to recruit serving members of the military to acquire sensitive military information or build spy networks, the report said.

In some unspecified cases, the report said, some gangsters were asked to serve as planted agents to "sabotage" and raise China's flag in the event of a Chinese invasion; Some retired military officers were instructed to gather photos and the coordinates of a foreign government office in Taiwan in a move to build a "sniper team" for an "assassination assignment".

Seven retired military officials were prosecuted last year on suspicion of Chinese espionage including mapping out the coordinates and details of several military bases and the de facto US embassy in Taipei, the official Central News Agency reported last week.

Beijing has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control. The government in Taipei strongly rejects the Chinese sovereignty claim and vows to defend its democracy and freedom.