Defense minister Yen Ming is calling for the military to heighten its guard against spies working for China.
Yen made the comments on Friday at a military promotion ceremony. He said the number of espionage cases exposed in recent years shows that Beijing has stepped up its intelligence collection on Taiwan’s armed forces. He also said this is posing a serious threat to the overall security of the military.
Yen said in addition to improving internal management and boosting the confidentiality awareness of active personnel, there is also a need to increase awareness among retired personnel and their families.
Yen said China’s continued military buildup, as well as territorial disputes in the East China Sea and the South China Sea, are having an impact on regional stability. He stressed that Taiwan must establish a streamlined but capable defense force in the face of China’s military threat.