Associated Press

Taipei, May 11:

Taiwan has arrested 17 military officers and civilians on suspicion of passing military secrets to China, the island’s military said today.

Senior officers said information leaked from the Ministry of National Defence included details about Chinese military exercises, but not more sensitive information about missile systems or secret codes. A ministry statement said the key figure in the alleged spy ring was major Chuang Poh-hsing, who worked in a unit of the ministry’s electronic information department that was believed to handle missile systems data.

“The documents he leaked included information about annual military exercises by China’s navy and air force, but no missile, radar, or secret information codes,” lieutenant general Li Hsiang-chou, the department’s chief, said.