Four members of a small pro-unification party in Taiwan are under investigation for allegedly passing Chinese officials classified information related to an espionage case, according to the New York Times. Beijing has said that it is watching the situation closely. The news comes as China ramping up pressure on Taiwan, which it considers part of its territory that must eventually come under its control.
The members of the pro-China New Party under investigation include Wang Ping-chung, the party’s spokesman, plus three members affiliated with its youth wing. The four people were detained and questioned on Tuesday but have since been released, the Taiwan authorities said.
Prosecutors and investigators at the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau, the body in charge of the inquiry, also searched the homes of the four men, who recently visited China. They are under suspicion of passing Chinese officials information related to the investigation of Zhou Hongxu, who is serving a 14-month prison sentence after being convicted of spying for China by a Taiwan court in September.
At a news conference on Wednesday, Mr. Wang confirmed reports that a large amount of Chinese currency had been found in his home. He said the money had been obtained legally through royalties for his writing and business investments he had made in China.