TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwan’s intelligence chief said on Monday that the island nation had broken up a Chinese spy ring that had infiltrated its defence industry and recruited retired military officers to gather sensitive information..
The announcement by Chen Ming-tong, director of Taiwan’s National Security Bureau, comes amid heightened tensions between the two sides as China has stepped up military pressure on the island it claims as its own territory..
Chen said the spy ring was led by a retired Taiwanese air force officer surnamed Hsu who was recruited by China’s Ministry of State Security in 2013. Hsu then recruited four other retired officers, including a former major general and a former colonel..
The spy ring collected information on Taiwan’s defence capabilities, including the deployment of its military forces, the development of new weapons systems, and the procurement of military equipment from the United States..
Chen said the spies used encrypted communication channels to transmit the information to their handlers in China. They were also instructed to gather information on Taiwan’s political and economic situation, as well as on the activities of pro-independence groups..
The arrests were made in November and December, and the suspects have been charged with espionage..
Chen said the case was a reminder of the threat posed by Chinese espionage to Taiwan’s national security. He urged the public to be vigilant against attempts by China to infiltrate Taiwanese society and institutions..
The announcement of the spy ring’s arrest comes just days after Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen warned that China was preparing for a possible invasion of the island..
Tsai said in a speech on Saturday that China was .
