Prosecutors say they've busted yet another Chinese spy ring. One official says it's time to take more action to protect national security.
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00:00Prosecutors say this is the would-be ringleader of a new Chinese spy ring, caught before his
00:05plan got off the ground.
00:07He's a former officer in Taiwan's military who's made a career in China.
00:11He's spoken to Chinese media in the past, saying Taiwan shouldn't unfairly block cross-strait
00:15exchanges.
00:17But prosecutors say that more recently, it's exchanges of Taiwan's military secrets he
00:21had in mind.
00:23They allege that he planned to infiltrate the ranks with help from two accomplices.
00:27Both are members of the fringe Chinese Unification Promotion Party, who prosecutors say accepted
00:32whining and dining at China's expense in return for their services.
00:37It's something the party's leader denies.
00:50What is certain is that this isn't an isolated case.
00:53In recent years, Taiwan has unearthed a long string of Chinese espionage cases.
00:58Many involve active or former military members, including a case that just ended last week
01:03with sentences of up to 13 years.
01:05Defense analysts say this model, recruiting Taiwanese people to do China's spying, is
01:10cost-effective for Beijing.
01:29But the regular pace at which China is putting these rings together has at least one official
01:33alarmed and calling for action.
01:36Lai Zhenjiang, a member of the government's watchdog and auditing body, says that since
01:402011, the number of Chinese spies Taiwan's uncovered has grown 12-fold.
01:45And Lai says that all the while, the budget for protecting against them has been cut.
02:02China has shown a determination to keep recruiting and sending spies, no matter how many are
02:06caught.
02:07To counter them, and protect its national security, Taiwan will have to start from within
02:11its own ranks.
02:13Justin Wu and John Vientriest for Taiwan Plus.