Beijing’s spy agency ‘destroyed large number’ of Taiwan intelligence networks
In a post on WeChat on Tuesday, the Ministry of State Security said the cases were revealed in a series of special operations launched in recent years and that it had continued to “strike hard” against spying activities.
It said the cases involved espionage and the theft of state secrets, and it had destroyed “a large number of spy intelligence networks” set up by Taiwanese in mainland China.
“[We have] severely punished spies who carried out intelligence theft, infiltration and sabotage activities, in accordance with the law, effectively safeguarding the security of our country’s core secrets,” the ministry said in the post.
It made specific mention of the arrest of Taiwanese political activist Yang Chih-yuan, which it called “an innovation in the law enforcement and judicial practice” of holding Taiwan independence elements criminally responsible for their suspected acts of secession.
The ministry accused Yang of being a “Taiwan independence” leader and said his arrest had “dealt a heavy blow and become a strong deterrent” to pro-independence separatist forces.
The case – which came at a time of heightened geopolitical tensions around the self-ruled island – marks the first time a person from Taiwan will face a mainland Chinese court on charges of secession.
There have, however, been several cases in recent years where Taiwanese have been jailed on the mainland for alleged activities that harmed national security.
In Tuesday’s WeChat post, the state security ministry pledged to “resolutely” fight against Taiwan-related separatism and espionage and to “pulverise” any attempt to pursue Taiwan independence.
It also hit out at the island’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party authorities for selling out “the fundamental interests and long-term well-being” of Taiwan.
The ministry said they were “doomed to a dead end, and those who insist on working for them will be buried with them and crushed to pieces under the wheel of history”.
It also said it had countered external interference on Taiwan, without elaborating.
“[We have] promptly thwarted the provocative plots of Taiwan independence separatists and external forces, effectively countering the intervention of foreign countries in the Taiwan Strait situation and meddling in the Taiwan issue,” the ministry said in the post.
Beijing regards the island as part of its territory to eventually be brought under mainland control, by force if necessary. Most countries, including the US, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state but oppose any unilateral change to the status quo.
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