MND confirms media report on espionage case involving retired major

Taipei, March 12 (CNA) Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) confirmed Wednesday a local media report detailing the alleged leaking of classified documents to Chinese intelligence personnel by a retired Air Force major, characterizing the incident as a case of Chinese infiltration.

The former Air Force officer, identified as Shih Chun-cheng (史濬程), was recruited by China after his retirement in 2008, the Chinese-language Mirror Media reported on Wednesday.

Shih approached then-Air Force Air Intercept Controller Hsu Chan-cheng (許展誠) and persuaded him to leak classified files in exchange for payment, which Shih delivered to his contacts in China, according to the report.

The report said that the classified information leaked included the Air Force's applications of air-launched Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missiles and deployments in response to Chinese military incursions into Taiwan's air defense identification zone.

In response, the MND said in a statement that the incident came to light in January 2023 when its Department of Strategic Planning filed a report stating that Shih, "pretending to be an American think tank staffer, approached active service members to engage in espionage."

Prosecutors raided Shih's residence in August 2024, and he and Hsu were indicted for violations of the National Security Act, the Classified National Security Information Protection Act, and the Anti-Corruption Act in December, according to the statement.

The case is currently being heard by the Taiwan High Court's Taichung Branch, the MND said.

A source with knowledge of the matter confirmed with CNA on Wednesday that the Mirror Media report accurately identified the types of secret files leaked.

Shih was allegedly paid more than NT$1.5 million (US$45,509) for the documents he provided, NT$200,000 of which he shared with Hsu, according to the source.

The MND said the case shows that Chinese infiltration has never stopped and promised to continue educating officers and soldiers on the issue of espionage, while also working in close collaboration with the country's national security apparatuses to root out spies.