Taiwan Convicts Air Force Officer for Passing Information to Beijing

An officer of the Republic of China Air Force (Taiwan) was convicted for passing defense information to the representatives of the People’s Republic of China.

RTI reported on this.

The Taichung District Court found officer Xu Zhancheng guilty and sentenced him to 7 years and 4 months in prison, along with the confiscation of illegally obtained funds.

According to the investigation, he passed information to Beijing in exchange for money.

It was established that since 2021, Xu had been cooperating with retired Major Shi Junchen, who had already been convicted and was previously recruited by Chinese intelligence.

Over the course of four years, he passed internal documents to the representatives of the People’s Republic of China, some of which concerned fighter jets and the Republic of China Air Force’s (Taiwan) response protocols to Chinese aircraft flying around the island.

Although these files were not formally classified as secret, the court ruled that their content could significantly assist Beijing in assessing Taiwan’s defense capabilities.

Chinese agents in Taiwan

In December 2023, Taiwanese intelligence prevented an attempted escape to the PRC: a pilot of a CH-47 Chinook multi-role helicopter planned to fly to mainland China along with the combat vehicle.

A traitor named Se planned to deliver the helicopter onto a naval vessel of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), which, according to the plan, was to be stationed in the Taiwan Strait.

For the escape, he was promised $15 million USD and guarantees of evacuation for his family to Thailand in case of an armed conflict between Taiwan and the PRC.

However, his plans were thwarted back in August — law enforcement arrested the pilot along with his accomplices following an anonymous tip. According to sources, the group had already been under security surveillance since spring 2023.

Counterintelligence Efforts

At the end of May, it became known that the Taiwanese government had implemented restrictions on conscripted military personnel who had connections to the People’s Republic of China.

According to officials, the aim of the new policy is to strengthen national security amid prolonged rising tensions in relations with Beijing.

Previously, individuals born in China but residing in Taiwan were prohibited from serving in intelligence, communications, aviation, and the navy during their conscription. They were also not allowed to work as aides to high-ranking officials in the Armed Forces.