Kao Chin Su-mei compares espionage probe of her staff to martial law era

Sep 11, 2026

A Taiwanese lawmaker is pushing back after prosecutors jailed two of her aides in a Chinese spy case, in a fight that puts Taiwan's national security enforcement under a political spotlight.

  • Independent legislator Kao Chin Su-mei said the arrests of her office director and a former assistant reminded her of Taiwan's martial law years, when "communist spy" charges were used against political opponents.
  • The two aides were detained and barred from visitors on suspicion of breaking national security law.
  • The case grew out of her longtime money manager, Chang Chun-chieh, who cut off his electronic monitoring bracelet and fled while out on bail.
  • Investigators believe Chang took Chinese money and built a network inside Taiwan for as long as a decade.
  • Kao Chin, who said she has been recovering quietly from throat surgery, urged people to stop speculating and let the evidence speak.

Outlook: The investigation continues, and the standoff between Kao Chin and prosecutors is likely to sharpen as more details of the alleged network emerge.

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