Taiwan indicts four suspected spies for China in case reaching presidential office
TAIPEI - Taipei prosecutors indicted four people on Tuesday suspected of spying for China in a case that reached Taiwan's presidential office, seeking jail terms of more than 18 years.
Democratically-governed Taiwan says it has faced heightened military and political pressure over the past five years or so from Beijing, which views the island as sovereign Chinese territory, a position Taipei's government rejects.
In a statement, Taipei prosecutors said the four, all previously members of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, had been indicted on espionage and other charges.
One of them was a former assistant to then foreign minister Joseph Wu, now head of the National Security Council, while another was a former presidential office adviser, sources familiar with the matter have previously told Reuters.
The Taipei prosecutors said in a statement that their suspected crimes included divulging or delivering classified national security information to China.
Jail sentences of 18 years or more are being sought, the statement added.
Reuters was not able to immediately locate contact details for legal representatives of any of those indicted.
China's Taiwan Affairs Office did not respond to a request for comment.
Last week, Taiwan's presidential office said it could not comment on the cases given the ongoing legal proceedings.
But it said that any person, regardless of party affiliation, who has "betrayed the country, collaborated with hostile external forces and committed crimes that hurt the whole nation" should be subject to the most severe punishment. REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
AsiaOne
38 minutes ago
- AsiaOne
Dalai Lama says institution of Dalai Lama will continue, Asia News
DHARAMSHALA, India — The Dalai Lama said on Wednesday (July 2) that a non-profit that he has founded will have the sole authority to recognise his future reincarnation, countering China's insistence that it will choose the successor of the Tibetan spiritual leader. The remarks by the leader, who turns 90 on Sunday, came during a week of celebrations to mark his birthday. There was no immediate comment from China. Beijing views the Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule, as a separatist. The Dalai Lama has previously said his successor will be born outside China and urged his followers to reject anyone chosen by Beijing. "I am affirming that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue," the Dalai Lama said in a statement. He added that the Gaden Phodrang Trust, the non-profit that he set up to maintain and support the tradition and institution of the Dalai Lama, has the sole authority to recognise his future reincarnation in consultation with the heads of Tibetan Buddhist traditions. "They should accordingly carry out the procedures of search and recognition in accordance with past tradition... no one else has any such authority to interfere in this matter," the Dalai Lama said. [[nid:719728]]
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Dalai Lama says he will have successor after his death
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama speaks in a video broadcast at the start of a meeting of religious leaders on July 2. DHARAMSHALA, India – Exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama said on July 2 that the 600-year-old institution will continue after his death, a decision that will have a profound impact on his Buddhist followers. It is a landmark decision not only for Tibetans, but also for global supporters who see the Dalai Lama as a symbol of non-violence, compassion and the enduring struggle for Tibetan cultural identity under Chinese rule. According to Tibetans, he is the 14th reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, and his statement was released ahead of his 90th birthday on July 6. He said he received multiple appeals over the past 14 years from Tibetan diaspora in exile, Buddhists from across the Himalayan region, Mongolia, and parts of Russia and China, 'earnestly requesting that the institution of the Dalai Lama continue'. 'In particular, I have received messages through various channels from Tibetans in Tibet making the same appeal,' he said in a video broadcast at the start of a meeting of religious leaders in the Indian Himalayan town where he has lived for decades. 'In accordance with all these requests, I am affirming that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue,' he added, according to an official translation. He and thousands of other Tibetans have lived in exile in India since Chinese troops crushed an uprising in the Tibetan capital Lhasa in 1959. His advanced age has also sparked concern over the future of Tibetan leadership and the delicate question of his succession. While China condemns him as a rebel and separatist, the internationally recognised Dalai Lama describes himself as a 'simple Buddhist monk'. Many exiled Tibetans fear China will name a successor to bolster control over a territory it poured troops into in 1950. But the Dalai Lama said on July 2 that responsibility for identifying the 15th Dalai Lama 'will rest exclusively' with the India-based Gaden Phodrang Trust, the office of the Dalai Lama. 'I hereby reiterate that the Gaden Phodrang Trust has sole authority to recognise the future reincarnation; no one else has any such authority to interfere in this matter,' he added. AFP
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Man charged over receiving scam proceeds of more than $1.5m in his firm's bank accounts
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Chinese national Hao Jian was handed four charges, including over money laundering and carrying out an unlicensed remittance business. SINGAPORE – A man who allegedly received over $1.5 million in scam proceeds via his company's bank accounts was charged on July 2 . Chinese national Hao Jian, 38 , was handed four charges, including over money laundering and carrying out an unlicensed remittance business. The police said that between May and October 2020, they received several reports that a firm called Qeebey Tech UK received money, allegedly derived from scams, in its bank accounts in Singapore. The firm was incorporated in the United Kingdom, and investigations revealed that Hao was the sole director and shareholder of the company, said the police. Hao was out of Singapore when the police commenced investigations against him, but was arrested in September 2024, when he entered the Republic for business. Further investigations revealed that from February to November 2020, Hao allegedly used Qeebey Tech UK's bank accounts in Singapore to receive around $1.55 million, which was then transferred to bank accounts both locally and overseas. Separately, in April 2020, one of the bank accounts maintained by Qeebey Tech UK received $95,978, allegedly derived from scams carried out against Singaporeans. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 3 out of 4 in Singapore cannot identify deepfake content: Cyber Security Agency survey Singapore GrabCab, Singapore's newest taxi operator, hits the roads with over 40 cabs to be rolled out in July Life Star Awards 2025: Xiang Yun and Chen Hanwei are the most decorated actors in show's 30-year history Business Cathay Cineplexes gets demand for $3.4 million in arrears from Jem landlord Singapore 3,800 private candidates in Singapore to take O- and A-level exams in 2025 Sport FAS introduces 'enhancements' to SPL, with increase in prize money and foreign player quota Business Binance to keep hundreds of staff in Singapore despite crackdown, sources say Singapore Teen admits assaulting cop, fracturing officer's nose The police said Hao was unable to provide a satisfactory explanation for the source of the money, which is suspected of being another individual's benefits from criminal conduct. This individual was not named. Hao was also the director of a Hong Kong-incorporated company named Qeebey Tech HK, which had bank accounts in Singapore. Between July 2019 and May 2020, Hao allegedly used the bank accounts of Qeebey Tech HK in Singapore to receive funds of around $1.99 million. He purportedly intended for the money to be transferred to other bank accounts in Singapore and overseas. At the time, neither Hao nor his two companies possessed a licence to carry on a remittance business or a business providing any type of payment service in Singapore, said the police. Hao was also not an exempt payment service provider. When Hao was charged on July 2, his bail was revoked, to be reviewed on July 8. Separately, his pre-trial conference will take place on July 14 . The police said they take a strong stance against those who make use of Singapore's financial system to launder proceeds of criminal conduct. 'Individuals are advised to be cautious of performing bank transactions for others in exchange for monetary benefits ,' the police said. 'To avoid becoming involved in money laundering activities, members of the public should also refrain from allowing their bank accounts to be used for receiving or transferring money for others .' Those who possess property that may be reasonably suspected of being benefits from criminal conduct, and fails to account satisfactorily how they came by the property, can be jailed for up to three years, fined up to $150,000, or both.
