A man from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) was
arrested on charge of espionage for the Taiwan authorities by the
State Security Bureau of the Beijing Municipality Friday.
The arrest has been approved by the Second Branch of the
People's Procuratorate of the Beijing Municipality, according to
official sources.
Cheng Cheong, a Hong Kong resident, was born on December 3,
1949. In early 2000, Cheng was recruited by the "National Security
Bureau" of the Taiwan authorities and given an alias, Chen
Yuanchun.
Between early 2000 and March 2005, Cheng followed the
instructions of the Taiwan intelligence and set up a number of
channels for espionage in both Hong Kong and the inland.
Cheng obtained through buying over or other means a great deal
of information about China's political, economic and especially
military affairs, including some classified as "top-secret" or
"confidential," and passed it to the Taiwan intelligence, which had
been detrimental to the national security.
The Taiwan intelligence had on different occasions given several
million Hong Kong dollars to Cheng for him to use in espionage
activities, the sources said.
On April 22, the state security department detained and
interrogated Cheng and later allowed him to stay at home under
surveillance and investigation, in accordance with law.
During the investigation, Cheng confessed the whole process of
his spying activities for the Taiwan intelligence.
The case is now under prosecution.
(Xinhua News Agency August 6, 2005)