The Daily Populous Monday April 21st, 2025 evening edition
Authored by thetimes.com and submitted by TimesandSundayTimes

One worked for the president, another for the foreign minister. They included ordinary soldiers, military officers and at least one former general.

They are Taiwan’s fifth column of Chinese spies and they are sending tremors through an island already under intense military pressure from its increasingly aggressive neighbour.

President Lai of Taiwan has ordered that officials of his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) declare in advance any travel to mainland China after a series of arrests of members of his party have added to fears that the island’s armed forces, government and political circles are riddled with spies.

President Lai’s ruling party has been alarmed by the exposure of an apparent espionage ring DANIEL CENG/EPA

According to a report by Taiwan’s National Security Bureau, 159 people have been charged with spying for China since 2020. They all remain under investigation. Six out of ten were present or former members of the armed forces, including 43 officers.

TimesandSundayTimes on April 21st, 2025 at 10:34 UTC »

One worked for the president, another for the foreign minister. They included ordinary soldiers, military officers and at least one former general.

They are Taiwan’s fifth column of Chinese spies and they are sending tremors through an island already under intense military pressure from its increasingly aggressive neighbour.

President Lai of Taiwan has ordered that officials of his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) declare in advance any travel to mainland China after a series of arrests of members of his party have added to fears that the island’s armed forces, government and political circles are riddled with spies.

According to a report by Taiwan’s National Security Bureau, 159 people have been charged with spying for China since 2020. They all remain under investigation. Six out of ten were present or former members of the armed forces, including 43 officers.

The report says that Chinese intelligence uses criminal gangs, fake companies, loan sharks, Buddhist temples, and civic organisations to target soldiers from all ranks with financial problems and bribe or blackmail them to share secrets