A Taiwanese TV reporter surnamed Lin has been detained after prosecutors alleged he paid several thousand to tens of thousands of Taiwan dollars to military officers in exchange for military information passed to people from mainland China. Authorities searched the reporter’s home and sites linked to nine current and retired military personnel; CTi TV confirmed one detained reporter and said its offices were not raided. The case is notable because accusations against journalists are rare and comes amid heightened cross-strait tensions following recent Chinese military drills.
Taiwan Detains TV Reporter Accused Of Paying Military Officers For Information Linked To China
FILE - A Taiwan national flag flutters near the Taipei 101 building at the National Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall in Taipei, Taiwan, May 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
TAIPEI — Taiwanese authorities have detained a television journalist surnamed Lin on allegations that he paid current military officers for sensitive information that was passed to individuals from mainland China, officials said.
The Qiaotou District Prosecutors Office said a district court ordered the detention of the reporter and five current and former military officers. The office identified the reporter only by the surname Lin. Separately, CTi TV named the detained employee as Lin Chen-you and called for an impartial judicial process, saying it was not yet aware of the case details.
Prosecutors allege Lin paid amounts ranging from several thousand to tens of thousands of Taiwan dollars (equivalent to tens to a few hundred U.S. dollars) to current military personnel in return for passing information to "Chinese individuals." Authorities did not specify who those contacts were or whether they had links to the Chinese government.
As part of the inquiry into suspected breaches of Taiwan’s national security and corruption laws and the disclosure of confidential material, investigators conducted raids Friday on the reporter’s residence and on locations connected to nine serving and retired military personnel. CTi said its own offices were not searched.
According to Lin’s Facebook page, he works as a political reporter and anchor covering Taiwan’s legislature. While Taiwanese authorities frequently investigate espionage within government and the armed forces, allegations involving journalists remain unusual.
Media and Legal Context
CTi News has operated primarily online since the National Communications Commission in 2020 declined to renew its cable license, citing repeated violations and growing complaints. A court later overturned that regulator decision, and legal appeals have continued.
Cross-Strait Tensions
Beijing regards Taiwan as part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to achieve reunification. The case unfolds amid heightened cross-strait tensions: Chinese military drills were recently staged around Taiwan following a Washington announcement of large-scale arms sales to the island.
China and Taiwan have been governed separately since 1949, when the Chinese Communist Party took control of mainland China after a civil war and Nationalist forces retreated to Taiwan. Taiwan later transitioned from martial law to a multiparty democracy.
— Leung reported from Hong Kong.
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