China Recruits Increasing Number of Taiwanese as Spies, According to National Security Bureau

taipei - The National Security Bureau of Taiwan has reported a rise in the recruitment of Taiwanese citizens by China as spies, with a focus on (former) military personnel.

The National Security Bureau stated that 'The Chinese Communist Party continues to use various channels and means to infiltrate all segments of society, recruiting citizens to establish networks or collect sensitive government information.'

About two-thirds of the arrested suspects are (former) military personnel, indicating a focus on the military. Recruits from the military then try to enlist their comrades, sometimes resorting to pressure tactics such as leveraging allies within Taiwanese criminal groups or using debts at underground banks as coercion methods, the bureau revealed.

(Former) military personnel are primarily tasked with gathering information, although there has been a reported case of an attempted attack on a diplomatic establishment of a foreign ally of Taiwan using a sniper team. The spies have also been asked to carry out sabotage and raise the Chinese flag in the event of an invasion.

Last week, Taiwan announced the arrest of seven retired defense officials on suspicion of spying for China. They were allegedly attempting to map out various military bases and gather information about the US embassy in Taipei.

China regards Taiwan as a renegade province and has increasingly threatened to annex the island. The Chinese military, particularly the navy and air force, regularly conduct exercises in the sea and airspace near the former Formosa to reinforce these threats.