China targets gangs, temples to infiltrate Taiwan: NSB

Taipei, April 22 (CNA) China has continued to intensify its infiltration into various sectors in Taiwan through a range of channels and strategies, including cooperation with temples and organized crime groups, the National Security Bureau (NSB) has said

"These [infiltration] efforts target Taiwan's military units and government agencies in an attempt to obtain sensitive defense and governmental information and to develop espionage networks within Taiwan," the NSB said in a written report submitted to lawmakers.

According to the NSB, other infiltration tactics include establishing underground banks to funnel Chinese capital as a means of luring individuals to join the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and exploiting temples to attract military personnel for the collection and transfer of sensitive intelligence.

The NSB report, which did not provide details of specific cases, said that the CCP had worked to establish online connections and lure China-based Taiwanese businessmen to contact government officials using fake identities to gather sensitive information.

The NSB added that the CCP "is exploiting Taiwan's democratic and open environment, using indirect and covert intelligence tactics to intensify its infiltration efforts."

The CCP's infiltration methods primarily include recruiting retired personnel to influence active-duty members, establishing online connections, offering financial incentives, and employing debt coercion, the NSB said.

This demonstrates that the CCP's infiltration tactics have become "increasingly diverse and comprehensive," the agency concluded.

Regarding the collusion with criminal gangs to develop armed internal agents, the NSB said that the CCP tries to recruit gang members in Taiwan, using "nonrepayable loans" as an incentive to identify cash-strapped active-duty military personnel and entice them to gather sensitive military intelligence.

In addition, the CCP instructs the gangsters to raise the five-star red flag -- the Chinese national flag -- and act as internal operatives in the event of a Chinese military invasion of Taiwan, coordinating sabotage efforts, the NSB said.

The NSB said that the CCP would also use underground currency exchange channels controlled by gang organizations to funnel funds into Taiwan.

The CCP attempts to recruit Taiwanese people or retired military soldiers to set up shell companies and establish pawn shops and gambling houses to lure or coerce active-duty service members to collect military secrets, fill out oaths of allegiance to the CCP, or fly military helicopters to surrender to the CCP.

Communist China also seeks to provide funding to temple managers, asking them to induce active-duty military personnel to wear military uniforms, hold the Chinese five-star flag, shoot videos showing their "surrender to China", or hand over documents regarding their troops' defense plans during their visits to temples for religious activities, according to the NSB report.

The report was presented ahead of a legislative hearing slated for Wednesday on Beijing's infiltration activities, which were recently found to have targeted Taiwan's top government bodies, including the Presidential Office, the National Security Council, and the foreign and defense ministries.