TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau (MJIB, 法務部調查局) has launched a sweeping probe into 11 Chinese technology companies suspected of illegal talent poaching and industrial espionage targeting Taiwan's crucial semiconductor sector. The announcement came Friday (March 28) as investigators revealed details of a coordinated operation involving seven field offices working alongside multiple district prosecutors across the island.
In a ten-day operation spanning March 18 to 27, the bureau mobilized more than 180 agents who conducted searches at 34 separate locations and interrogated 90 individuals connected to the case. Among the Chinese firms under scrutiny are Junmao Electronics Co., Ltd. (鈞茂電子有限公司), Clounix (雲合智網（上海）技術有限公司), and Sino Wealth Electronic Ltd. (中穎電子股份有限公司), all allegedly engaged in systematic talent recruitment activities prohibited under Taiwanese law.
Investigators have placed particular focus on Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (中芯國際集成電路製造有限公司), China's largest chip manufacturer and the world's third-highest in sales volume. According to MJIB officials, the company allegedly orchestrated elaborate schemes involving fraudulent foreign investment vehicles to establish operational branches within Taiwan, creating a front for aggressive talent recruitment campaigns targeting local semiconductor experts.
In another case highlighted by investigators, Clounix, a firm specializing in sophisticated network chip development, reportedly engaged in corporate identity manipulation by initially presenting itself as a Taiwanese company before later adopting a Singaporean corporate identity through strategic stock transfers. MJIB officials warned that such deceptive practices represent a serious threat to Taiwan's technological competitiveness and economic security. The bureau reaffirmed its determination to combat these illegal recruitment and espionage activities that undermine Taiwan's critical position in the global semiconductor supply chain.