Officer’s Loyalty Bought by China: How Much Did the Taiwanese Soldier Get Paid to Spy?

Tensions Rising Between Taiwan and China
Taiwanese Military Officer Caught Spying for China
Pledged Loyalty After Receiving Cash

The relationship between Taiwan and China is teetering on the brink of an armed conflict. China, determined to reinforce the One China principle, will risk a military conflict to achieve unification. Taiwan is preparing for a possible invasion by increasing its defense budget. Amid these preparations, a high-ranking officer engaged in spy activities within the military has been exposed, creating a stir.

According to Taiwanese media, the Kaohsiung District Prosecutor’s Office indicted an active-duty army colonel, Xiang Deren, on corruption charges for pledging loyalty to China and accepting money. He even wrote a pledge stating, “In the event of a war across the Taiwan Strait, I swear to pledge my loyalty to China.” So, how much money did he receive?

Received $1,500 Every Month After Writing the Pledge
“Pledged Loyalty to China While Staying in Taiwan”

Colonel Xiang Deren was reported to be serving as the head of the Operations Research and Development Department at the Army Infantry Training Command. He was captured by a retired Taiwanese soldier, Xiao Weichang, in January 2020 and wrote a pledge stating he would surrender if China invaded.

As a reward, he received 40,000 Taiwanese dollars (approximately $1,500) every month for 14 months. The local prosecutor’s office sought a 12-year prison sentence for this. However, Xiang Deren denied the corruption charges, claiming he signed the pledge after witnessing other high-ranking officers doing the same.

Ongoing Espionage Activities in Taiwan
Must Block China’s Information Gathering Efforts

The local prosecutor’s office is investigating whether it can apply charges of violating the National Security Law to Xiang Deren. Xiao Weichang, who captured him, has also been indicted for violating the National Security and Banking Law. The Taiwanese Ministry of Defense is investigating other military officials and stated it will “closely cooperate with national security agencies to block China’s efforts to gather information.”

There have been consistent allegations that China is trying to extract military-related information from Taiwan by luring retired and active-duty Taiwanese soldiers. In fact, over the past decade, at least 21 Taiwanese officers at the level of major or above have been involved in espionage activities for China. Among them, there was even a case where the security information of Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen was leaked.

“Selling His Country for Money”

China is known to recruit spies through a cash and gift offensive. The targets are not limited to Taiwan. Last month, the BBC reported on retired British Air Force pilots who received large sums of money to teach Western fighter jet operation methods in China. There are numerous cases of China’s illegal information collection, and unimaginable attempts are believed to lurk beneath the surface.