Taiwan sees threefold surge in suspected Chinese espionage cases

By Eric Cheung, CNN

(CNN) — Taiwan has seen a “significant rise” in the number of individuals charged with spying for China in recent years, according to new data released by the island’s security bureau, amid escalating intimidation by Beijing.

In a report released Sunday, Taiwan’s National Security Bureau (NSB) said the number of individuals prosecuted for Chinese espionage had increased threefold in recent years, rising from 16 in 2021 to 64 in 2024.

Of those 64 charged, 15 were military veterans and 28 were active service members, according to the report, which said targets of Chinese infiltration included military units, government agencies and local associations.

The number of prosecutions last year was the highest seen in a decade, a senior security official told CNN, and comes as Taiwan has faced increasing intimidation from Beijing.

Beijing claims the self-governing democracy as its own territory and has vowed to take control of it, by force if necessary, despite having never controlled it.

The Taiwanese government has repeatedly rejected China’s sovereignty claims and emphasized that Taiwan’s future can only be decided by its 23.5 million people.

“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.

In recent years, Beijing has stepped up its pressure on the island, launching large-scale military drills more frequently and raising alarm over the possible deployment of “gray zone” tactics – acts that fall below the threshold of war.

Taiwan officials’ suspicions earlier this month that a Chinese vessel may have been responsible for damage to an undersea internet cable underscored concerns on the island about vulnerabilities that could be exploited by Beijing in so-called “gray zone operations.”

In December, China also fielded its largest regional maritime deployment in decades – including multiple formations of Chinese naval and coast guard vessels – in regional waters and around the Taiwan Strait, according to Taiwan’s Defense Ministry.

For years, Taiwan’s security agencies have warned about Beijing’s growing attempts to infiltrate its armed forces and their espionage activities, particularly efforts to bribe military officers in exchange for national secrets.

The latest report said that improved counter-intelligence capabilities has allowed authorities in Taiwan to uncover more cases of suspected Chinese espionage.

It said Chinese agents allegedly attempted to establish contacts with criminal gangs and local temples, as well as setting up underground banks to recruit military personnel and China-friendly groups in Taiwan.

The report added, without specifying details of the cases, that some of the suspected spies were tasked to serve as agents of “sabotage” and raise China’s flag in the event of a Chinese invasion. Some were also asked to gather intelligence in a move to build a “sniper team” for an “assassination assignment.”

CNN has reached out to China’s Taiwan Affairs Office for comment.

China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS), which oversees intelligence and counterintelligence both within China and overseas, has also previously accused Taiwan of conducting spying activities.

Last August, the ministry said it had uncovered over a thousand Taiwanese espionage cases in recent years and dismantled a number of espionage networks.

China’s MSS has also launched a high-profile campaign against what it says is a surge in espionage activities by foreign nationals at a time when relations with western powers, especially the United States, have cratered.

Chao Yu-hsiang, a resident search officer at Taiwan’s Institute of National Defense and Security Research (INDSR), said he hopes the recent surge in prosecutions by Taiwan would prompt the Taiwanese military to enhance security measures.

“Both our military and civilians should maintain a high level of vigilance in our words and deeds, develop good confidentiality habits, and use social media with caution to prevent those with ulterior motives from infiltrating, absorbing and exploiting us,” he wrote in a column published by INDSR on Monday.

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