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January 19, 2026 – Taiwan –
A Taiwanese journalist identified by the surname Lin has been detained by prosecutors in Taiwan on allegations that he bribed active-duty and retired military officers to obtain confidential military information for contacts linked to mainland China, marking an unusual and high-profile case involving a member of the press in a national security probe. Taiwan’s authorities view the incident within the broader context of tightened efforts to guard against espionage and infiltration from Beijing.
According to the Qiaotou District Prosecutors’ Office, a district court ordered the detention of Lin along with five military personnel, including current and former army members, on suspicion of violations of national security and corruption laws. Prosecutors allege that Lin paid various sums, ranging from several thousand to tens of thousands of Taiwan dollars, to incentivise officers to provide sensitive military information that was then passed to unidentified “Chinese individuals,” though officials have not clarified whether these contacts were linked to the Chinese government. Authorities also conducted raids on the homes of the reporter and nine military personnel in connection with the investigation.
The detained journalist has been identified by CTi TV, the outlet for which he worked, as Lin Chen-you, a political reporter and anchor covering Taiwan’s legislature. In a brief statement, CTi said it did not have full details of the case but emphasised the importance of a fair judicial process as the matter proceeds through Taiwan’s legal system. The network also confirmed that its offices were not part of the raids.
Officials in Taiwan increasingly scrutinise potential security breaches amid ongoing military and political pressure from China, which claims sovereignty over the self-ruled island and has not renounced the use of force to achieve unification. While Taiwan regularly investigates espionage involving its defence establishment, prosecutions of journalists in such cases are rare and have drawn significant attention from observers, as they intersect press freedom concerns with national security imperatives.
Legal experts note that if convicted, Lin could face serious penalties under Taiwan’s National Security Act and Anti-Corruption Act, which carry heightened consequences for activities deemed harmful to the state’s defence and sovereignty. The case highlights tensions between safeguarding classified information and protecting the role of the media in a democratic society, navigating complex cross-strait relations.
Reference –
https://apnews.com/article/taiwan-national-security-journalist-cti-78a8064cc0efa1cf1644ef0676329293
