Retired Lieutenant General Kao An-kuo is now considered Taiwan's highest-ranking retired officer charged with spying for China. Five others, including Kao’s partner, were also charged with violating the National Security Act. The indictment comes within weeks of a similar case of veterans spying and planning attacks to assist a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.
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00:00This is retired Taiwanese Lieutenant General Gao Anguo.
00:12He's now the highest ranking retired serviceman Taiwan has indicted for spying for China.
00:19Prosecutors have charged Gao and five others with violating the National Security Act.
00:24It's the latest in a growing number of espionage cases involving retired military personnel.
00:30Prosecutors say that Gao formed a group promoting unification with China, and that Beijing paid
00:36nearly 300,000 U.S. dollars for tasks such as using drones to identify possible invasion
00:43sites on Taiwan's northern coast.
00:45The group allegedly even promised armed support to China if it were to invade.
00:54Gao has made no secret of his support for Taiwan's unification with China, often posting
01:07pro-unification commentary on his YouTube channel.
01:10But for his concrete actions to assist in unification, prosecutors are seeking a sentence
01:16of 10 years in prison.
01:18It's the second case to be made public in as many weeks.
01:21Earlier this month, an indictment was made public against retired military veteran and
01:26politician Chu Hongyi.
01:28Prosecutors also charged him with carrying out reconnaissance for China, including on
01:33the unofficial U.S. embassy in Taipei.
01:35He was also allegedly assembling teams to carry out attacks during a Chinese invasion.
01:41Taiwan's defense ministry says the impacts of these two cases are limited.
01:52Prosecutors declined to comment to Taiwan Plus on whether the two cases are connected.
02:00It's unclear whether such cases, which have much in common, are part of a coordinated
02:05effort by China.
02:07But with so many cases involving the country's veterans now coming to light, many here are
02:13naturally concerned.
02:14Klein Wong and Chris Gorin for Taiwan Plus.