China Reportedly Paid Taiwan Officer to Surrender If War Started

  • Infantry colonel was given nearly $1,300 a month, reports say
  • Taiwan has long faced espionage threat from bigger neighbor

Taiwanese assault vehicles simulate an amphibious landing by China during a military exercise in Pingtung. 

Photographer: Annabelle Chih/Getty Images 

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Taiwan is investigating an infantry officer on suspicion he took monthly payments from China for years to gather intelligence and surrender if a war ever broke out, saying the case highlights the “serious threat” posed by Beijing’s espionage.

The colonel received NT$40,000 ($1,280) each month from China after he was recruited to spy by a retired Taiwanese military officer in 2019, the Central News Agency reported Tuesday, without saying where it got the information.