Taiwan Roundup: Chinese bribe, malaria death, minimum wage

$15 million China bribe to Taiwan colonel

Chinese spies offered an army lieutenant colonel US$15 million in exchange for him defecting to China via helicopter, provided that he did so on a sizable military helicopter. A lieutenant colonel named Hsieh was detained by the Taiwan High Prosecutor's Office in August on suspicion of being enlisted by Chinese agents, according to local media Liberty Times. Hsieh intended to land on a People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) warship when it got close to the median line of the Taiwan Strait. He was to be compensated US$15 million upon completion of his defection. However, prosecutors arrested Hsieh before he could carry out the plan, according to Liberty Times.

First malaria death in 18 years

The Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has reported that the East Asian nation recorded its first malaria death in 18 years. CDC deputy director confirmed that a 50-year-old man died earlier this month after a trip from Nigeria. Six days after the onset of the symptoms, he passed away from septic shock, cerebral oedema, and multiple organ failure. According to local media Taipei Times, Taiwan has in 2023 reported five imported cases of malaria: two from Ethiopia, one each from the Ivory Coast, India, and Nigeria.

Annual minimum wage review

The Taiwanese Legislative Yuan on December 12, passed the Minimum Wage Act, which imposes yearly wage reviews and fines on employers who fail to pay their employees the minimum wage stated in labour agreements. The Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee of the Legislature adopted the act on October 8, which was a campaign pledge made by Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in 2016. The act stipulates that the Ministry of Labour must set up a minimum wage review committee. This body would meet annually in the third quarter to evaluate potential increases to the minimum wage, Taipei Times reports.

Chinese military aircraft

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked seven Chinese military aircraft and seven naval vessels around Taiwan between December 12 and December 13. According to the MND, Taiwan sent aircraft and naval ships and deployed air defence missile systems to track the activity of the People’s Liberation Army. Beijing has deployed 84 navy vessels and 116 combat planes around Taiwan this December. According to Taiwan News, China has been using more "grey zone" tactics since September 2020, gradually expanding the number of military aircraft and naval vessels that are in the Taiwan area.

Economic espionage

Taiwan has enacted amendments to its National Security Act, imposing increased penalties for economic espionage and the extraterritorial use of core key technologies' trade secrets. The 2022 amendments impose harsher penalties for aiding China, Hong Kong, Macau, or foreign hostile forces in obtaining, using, or leaking trade secrets of Taiwan's key technologies. Offenders can face imprisonment for five to 12 years or a fine of NT$5 million to NT$100 million (US$158,670 to US$3.17 million), Taipei Times reports.