Taiwan authorities on Tuesday opened an investigation against a senior Army officer for allegedly accepting monthly bribes from China for years in exchange for gathering intelligence and preparing for possible «surrender» in the event of war.
The colonel, identified as Hsiang Te En, is reportedly receiving about 40,000 Taiwanese dollars (about 1,200 euros) per month in exchange for information after being recruited by Beijing as a spy, according to information from the Central News Agency (CNA).
Taipei has indicated that the suspect had a photograph taken of himself holding a sign in which he promised to surrender to China in case the island was invaded by Chinese forces.
Former Deputy Defense Minister Chang Che Ping, who was one of the island’s top military officials, was also investigated in 2021 for allegedly maintaining contacts with a Chinese espionage network.
However, he was exonerated and served as a witness in a case that led to the arrest of two other senior officers last June, including a general. The Ministry of Defense has warned of the risk posed by «infiltration and recruitment» by China.
