Ex-commander allegedly enlisted ‘moles’ for China

BOUGHT OUT: Prosecutors have charged the former air force man, saying he offered officers money, gifts and all-expense-paid trips to win them over

By Jason Pan / Staff reporter





New Taipei City prosecutors have charged a retired air force commander with helping China infiltrate Taiwan’s military and recruit officers in breach of the National Security Act (國家安全法).

After retiring from the air force in 2004, former wing commander Tu Yung-hsin (杜永心), 67, went to work in China, the prosecutors said on Monday.

Tu attempted to recruit Taiwanese military officers to work for China and collaborate with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in the event of a war, they said.

Shortly after Tu went to China, he was approached by a man known as “Mr A,” a section chief at the PLA’s General Political Department, prosecutors said, adding that the agency became the Political Work Department of the Chinese Central Military Commission after major restructuring in 2016.

Tu allegedly agreed to work for Mr A, after being offered money and gifts, and promised to recruit officers and set up a clandestine network within the military.

After returning to Taiwan, Tu focused on recruiting his former colleagues and acquaintances, one of whom was an army lieutenant colonel surnamed Tsai (蔡), prosecutors said.

Tu allegedly tried to recruit Tsai in 2011, when he was the commander of a combined arms battalion, by offering him money, expensive wine and tea, and all-expense-paid trips to China and Malaysia.

Tsai told investigators that Tu wanted him to go on the trips to meet high-ranking Chinese officials, but he declined.

Tu allegedly said the Chinese Ministry of State Security was focused on penetrating Taiwan’s military and political structures, and that the recruited officers would not need to conduct espionage work, but would be “moles” who would rise in rank and be activated when needed.

Tsai said that Tu wanted him to switch allegiance to the People’s Republic of China, and asked to film him saying: “In the future, Taiwan will unify with China. If war breaks out between the two sides, I will not fight, and will cooperate with the Chinese motherland.”

Tsai secretly recorded his conversations with Tu and kept the money and gifts given to him, which he handed over as evidence when prosecutors and the Ministry of Justice’s Investigation Bureau began to investigate the case in September.

Tu has denied he was working for China, saying that he was just boasting when socializing with Tsai.