China meddled in Taiwan’s elections through united front proxies, court finds

Taipei [Taiwan], July 1 (ANI): Three individuals in Taiwan have been sentenced to prison for accepting funds from Beijing to carry out political campaigning and promote pro-China “united front" activities, in violation of the Anti-Infiltration Act, according to Taipei Times.

The Taipei District Court on Sunday found Gong He Party Chairman Chou Ke-chi guilty of breaching the act and sentenced him to two years in prison. Two others, Chu Chun-yuan and Pan Jindong, both board members of the Taipei Puxian Association, received sentences of one year and 18 months, respectively. All three sentences are subject to appeal, Taipei Times reported.

Pan, originally from China, moved to Taiwan in 2002 and later became a Taiwanese citizen. According to the indictment by the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office, he was serving as executive director of the Taipei Puxian Association and was also appointed in 2021 as a deputy director of a cultural museum in Putian City, Fujian Province.

As per Taipei Times, Pan was stationed in Taiwan and tasked by officials from the Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) of Putian, including a section chief surnamed Chen and deputy director Xue, to promote CCP-aligned “united front" efforts in Taiwan in coordination with Chu.

Prosecutors revealed that Chou and Chu had long maintained close ties with Chinese officials through cross-strait labour and cultural exchanges, and that they received NT$45,000 (about US$1,540) in Chinese funds to support their political campaigns during Taiwan’s 2022 local elections, where both ran on pro-China platforms.

Additionally, Taipei Times reported that Pan and Chou submitted a proposal to TAO official Xue in 2022 to hold a protest during the World Movement for Democracy summit in Taipei. Their plan was approved, and they were granted 50,000 Chinese yuan to carry it out.

The case marks a rare application of Taiwan’s Anti-Infiltration Act, highlighting growing concerns over Beijing’s covert political interference. (ANI)

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