Chinese intelligence has been recruiting young Taiwanese army officers from the moment they start their careers, a sign the spying problem runs deeper than individual cases.

• More than 20 serving army captains have been searched and questioned over ties to a Chinese spy group called the Wolong Society.
• The officers are young, in their mid-twenties, and nearly all came up through Taiwan's elite military prep school and academy track.
• Some were approached back in 2022 and 2023, when they were still junior lieutenants and years from any sensitive post.
• The hook was money: small loans to officers who needed cash, then pressure to work off the debt, followed by payments tied to how secret the information was, and even loyalty oaths.
• The bigger worry is how the group got hold of the officers' personal details, finances, and social circles in the first place.

Outlook: Investigators are still working out who handed over what, and more rounds of searches and questioning are expected.