Ex-TV producer indicted for spying for China, faces 12-year sentence

Taipei, April 10 (CNA) The Taipei District Prosecutors' Office on Friday indicted former television producer Lee Neng-chien (李能謙) for allegedly collecting Taiwanese military intelligence for China and is seeking a prison sentence of at least 12 years.

According to the indictment, Lee was accused of being recruited by Chinese intelligence operatives and directing others to gather sensitive military information in Taiwan between 2024 and 2025.

He had worked as a producer for several TV stations, including on entertainment programs for Sanlih E-Television Co. for many years.

Prosecutors indicted Lee and four others on charges including violations of the National Security Act, Intelligence Services Act, and Personal Data Protection Act.

They said Lee was the main orchestrator of the case, allegedly providing thousands of confidential personal and military-related data points to Chinese agents and seriously undermining national security.

The investigation found that Lee was initially uncovered in a fraud probe involving fake investment ads impersonating public figures, including Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳), with the scam defrauding victims of more than NT$13 million (US$409,000).

Further analysis of seized evidence led authorities to uncover his alleged involvement in national security violations, prompting a broader joint investigation by police, military police and national defense units late last year.

 ● Supreme Court upholds ex-military officer's China spying sentence

According to prosecutors, since 2024, Lee has been working with a Chinese military intelligence operative nicknamed "Small Blue," who requested assistance in gathering intelligence on Taiwan's military and offered payment based on the sensitivity of the information.

Lee allegedly directed associates to pry into and collect personal data on military personnel and sensitive military information.

He also set up an online messaging group aimed at recruiting active-duty military personnel and encouraging them to provide intelligence, though he was unsuccessful, prosecutors said.

In 2025, Lee traveled to Fuzhou, China, where he was allegedly recruited by another Chinese intelligence contact known as "Fuzhou Hotspring" and allegedly agreed to collect and hand over military-related information in exchange for payment.

Lee later obtained more than 3,000 pieces of personal data, including information on military personnel, and transmitted six of the files via the messaging app Telegram to his Chinese intelligence contact "Fuzhou Hotspring," according to prosecutors' allegations.

(by Lin Chang-shun and Lee Hsin-Yin) Enditem/cs