Overview

• The four accused include a former aide to President Lai Ching-te and a senior staffer to Joseph Wu who allegedly passed sensitive state secrets to Chinese agents.
• Two of the defendants have confessed to the accusations while the other two have denied involvement in the espionage ring.
• Prosecutors are charging the suspects under the Classified National Security Information Protection Act with potential sentences ranging from five to over 18 years in prison.
• This indictment follows a 2024 surge in counterespionage efforts that led to the prosecution of 64 individuals for spying for China.
• The case highlights Beijing’s intensified military and political pressure on Taiwan as cross-strait tensions persist.