00:00Taking his secrets to the grave
00:02An alleged spy for China dies from illness while standing trial for espionage in Taiwan.
00:09Prosecutors say the Hong Kong National, surnamed Ding,
00:12used Mazou religious exchanges as a front to enter Taiwan in 2018.
00:17Acting under the direction of China,
00:20they say he was paid more than US$350,000 to recruit six current and former Taiwanese military personnel.
00:27This spy network spanned the Army and Air Force
00:31and was taxed with gathering intelligence
00:33and even persuading active duty officers not to resist if war broke out.
00:39Ding died in February,
00:40but six other defendants were sentenced on similar charges on April 15.
01:07Kuo says the government will strengthen security awareness and vetting for service members
01:12and carry out damage control over any leaked information.
01:16But he didn't specify how.
01:19China claims Taiwan, as part of its territory,
01:21threatens to use violence to seize the country
01:24and uses spies to infiltrate its armed forces.
01:27Sometimes, like in this case,
01:29using shared cultural ties to gain access.
01:33Analysts say this kind of infiltration is a multi-stage process.
01:38First, low-sensitivity contact, such as religions or cultural exchange.
01:43In second stage, the relationship building,
01:46including sustained communications or small financial interactions.
01:51And the third, tasking,
01:53such as introducing specific individuals or requesting certain information.
01:58One reason why this is so effective, say others,
02:02is because of a lack of legal deterrent.
02:05They say, compared to places like Europe and the US,
02:08penalties for national security cases in Taiwan are very light.
02:33While the states consider stiffer punishments,
02:36authorities have their hands full,
02:38with 10 other people facing prosecution
02:41in separate espionage cases in southern Taiwan.
02:44This time for infiltrating the country's Coast Guard and drone units.
02:49Showing that beyond legal reforms,
02:51there's also a need to step up prevention and awareness.
02:55Fu Hua Hong and Ellen Lu for Taiwan Plus.
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