TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Taiwan High Prosecutors Office (高等檢察署) indicted two Taiwanese nationals on Monday (Jan. 26) for violating the National Security Act (國家安全法) by allegedly attempting to gather military and government secrets for China. Prosecutors charged Cheng Ming-chia (鄭明嘉) and Hu Peng-nien (胡鵬年) with espionage-related offenses and are seeking a 10-year prison sentence for Cheng, given the severity of the charges.
Cheng moved to Guangzhou, China, in 2008 and has served as president of the Guangzhou Taiwan Youth Home (廣州台灣青年之家) and deputy director of the Guangdong Overseas Friendship Association (廣東海外聯誼會) since 2016. Hu traveled to China after retiring in 2015 to teach; Cheng allegedly recruited him in 2021. Prosecutors say that Hu subsequently met with officials from the Chinese Communist Party's United Front Work Department, a key agency responsible for overseas influence operations.
Prosecutors said Hu was tasked with recruiting Taiwanese political figures and military personnel. Both Cheng and Hu frequently returned to Taiwan, contacting village chiefs, retired government officials, contractors for the Ministry of National Defense (國防部), and young politicians. They allegedly attempted to gather government and military secrets, but most of their targets refused to cooperate.
The Taiwan High Prosecutors Office launched four rounds of searches beginning in September 2025, detaining Cheng and Hu incommunicado by the end of that month. Authorities determined their suspected actions pose a severe threat to national security. Cheng has consistently denied the charges, while Hu has confessed and shown cooperation, leading prosecutors to recommend a more lenient sentence for him. ◼
>>> LEGAL DISCLAIMER: Legal proceedings discussed in this article remain ongoing. Under Taiwan law and international legal standards, all individuals mentioned are presumed innocent until proven guilty by a competent court.