Chinese Spy Impersonated Epoch Times Reporter in Taiwan Plot: Prosecutors
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TAIPEI, Taiwan—A Chinese spy pretended to be an Epoch Times reporter in a scheme to recruit military officers and gain national security intelligence in Taiwan, prosecutors say.
The woman, an intelligence officer in the Chinese armed police stationed in northern Chinese province Shanxi, had claimed to be a reporter for the Hong Kong bureau of The Epoch Times, according to Taiwan prosecutors.
The bureau chief said that the spy had leveraged widespread trust built up by the Epoch Times in Taiwan.
The revelation comes amid growing interference from pro-Beijing actors who have also previously used impersonation tactics to sully the reputation of the publication.
Seeking Missile Intelligence
The brigade where Tsai and Lin served is called the Hai Feng Brigade, Taiwan’s land-based anti-ship missile unit.The Chinese officer, using pseudonyms “Chu Ting” and “Ti Ying” to disguise her true identity, allegedly promised Tsai payment based on the value of military information he supplied. In May 2023, Tsai filled out a form with his personal details, such as his military unit and his position. He received NT$8,000 (about $260) after Lin passed the information to Chu Ting, according to an indictment from the Taichung District Prosecutors Office.
Tsai also allegedly took back operation manuals for Taiwan’s domestically-produced Hsiung Feng II missile. He took photos of them with his phone and passed them to Chu Ting, and received NT$30,000 (about $960) in return, prosecutors said.
The information Tsai allegedly leaked was not publicly available, even though it was not classified as military secrets, according to Taiwanese authorities. Lin and Tsai face charges of National Security Act violations and taking bribes in violation of duty, respectively.
The ministry said that it will continue to implement education on protecting secrets and preventing espionage, to deepen service members’ “awareness of security and defense and patriotism.”
Epoch Times Targeted
Cheryl Ng, spokesperson for the Hong Kong bureau of The Epoch Times, condemned the Chinese agent’s impersonation attempt. She confirmed that the bureau has never hired anyone under the names prosecutors mentioned.She said in a statement that The Epoch Times has become a recognized brand over its firsthand reporting on China, and the Chinese spy likely thought that posing as an Epoch Times reporter would make it easier to gain trust in Taiwanese society.
This is not the first time The Epoch Times has been impersonated by pro-Beijing actors, who have stepped up their efforts to target the publication.
Founded in 2000 in Atlanta with a mission to bring truthful information from China, The Epoch Times has faced continued sabotage efforts from the Chinese communist regime. Its early reporters in China were arrested, with several sentenced to up to 10 years in prison.
Espionage Through Dating Websites, Social Media
Wang Ting-yu, a legislator from Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party, said that the case—particularly how the Chinese agent posed as a reporter—should raise concerns. Dating websites and social media have become platforms for Chinese agents’ espionage efforts, he said.Wang added that the case was typical of how Chinese intelligence agents operate.
“They often give you some money to provide unimportant documents—things that aren’t classified and aren’t illegal, so it seems OK. Once you take the money and hand the material over, even if the information isn’t sensitive, they’ve got you,” Wang said.
“After you comply with that first step, it becomes very difficult to refuse later requests for more sensitive information, and you end up being controlled by the Chinese Communist Party’s agent network.”
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