Two Taiwanese indicted over alleged espionage for China

Taipei, Jan. 26 (CNA) Prosecutors on Monday indicted a Taiwanese man and a retired government official on national security charges, accusing them of organizing an espionage network for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

The case involves Cheng Ming-chia (鄭明嘉), who moved to Guangzhou, China, in 2008 to start a business, and Hu Peng-nien (胡鵬年), a retired Executive Yuan official.

The Taiwan High Prosecutors' Office said in a news release that, in order to protect his business interests in China, Cheng served from 2016 as head of the CCP-affiliated Taiwan youth organization in Guangzhou and as deputy director of the youth division of the Guangdong Overseas Friendship Union.

He was also appointed by the CCP as a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Guangzhou Committee, the office said.

In 2021, Cheng met Hu and arranged for him to meet with a Chinese united front official surnamed Chen (陳), who also serves as a Taiwan affairs task force officer for the CCP.

Hu was subsequently assigned by Chen to recruit Taiwanese political figures as well as active and retired military personnel to obtain sensitive government information in exchange for rewards, actions that prosecutors said posed a serious threat to Taiwan's national security, without providing further details of such operations.

Large-scale search operations were launched by Taiwanese authorities in September 2025, leading to the arrests of Cheng and Hu, who have been held in detention since.

With the investigation concluded, the Taiwan High Prosecutors' Office said prosecutors have filed charges against Cheng and Hu for violating the National Security Act by developing an organization for the CCP.

They are seeking a prison term of at least 10 years for Cheng, citing his denial of the charges and attempts to mislead investigators, while asking the court to consider Hu's admission and remorse when determining his sentence.