TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — National Security Court Judge Hsu Kai-chieh (許凱傑) said Friday that Chinese espionage in Taiwan now involves more people, wider networks, and harder prosecutions, CNA reported.
Speaking with Hudson Institute China Center Director Miles Yu (余茂春) at a forum in Washington, Hsu discussed Taiwan’s efforts to counter Chinese infiltration and overseas intimidation. He said Chinese espionage has changed in three main ways over the past decade.
Hsu said the first change is a shift from military secrets to routine information. Chinese agents now seek details such as meal plans and training schedules, not only weapons and radar data.
Chinese agents increasingly use online platforms to contact people with professional knowledge, Hsu explained. As a result, almost anyone with useful information may become a target.
The second change is the growth of larger recruitment networks. Earlier espionage cases often involved one to three defendants, while recent cases may involve more than 10, 15, or even 20 people.
The third change is the use of legal organizations and activities that do not clearly violate criminal law. Hsu said Chinese influence operations may take place through alumni associations, hometown groups, research institutes, and similar organizations.
These activities allow China to test the limits of democratic legal systems while avoiding clear criminal violations, Hsu said. Taiwan may recognize the security risks but still lacks enough legal grounds to arrest suspects or stop threats before they become crimes.
Hsu cited an attack involving Japanese journalist Akio Yaita as an example of the problem. He said authorities had no special national security law for the case and could only investigate it as ordinary harassment or assault, Liberty Times reported.
Yu asked whether Taiwan has enough legal tools to deal with foreign espionage and infiltration. He referred to US laws that regulate people acting for foreign governments and allow special surveillance warrants in foreign intelligence cases.
Hsu said Taiwan allows judges to issue search warrants during national security investigations. However, it does not have a separate warrant system based specifically on national security concerns, similar to the US Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
Taiwan established special court divisions for national security cases in 2024. These divisions can hear espionage cases, but Hsu said legal gaps remain when suspicious activities raise security concerns without clearly meeting the definition of a crime, per UDN.
