A high-profile legal case in Taiwan has ended with a seven-year prison sentence for Hsu Chun-ying, a prominent advocate for spouses from mainland China. The New Taipei city court found Hsu guilty of collaborating with Chinese government officials to influence Taiwanese politics, violating the Anti-Infiltration Act and the Banking Act.
Hsu, who was originally from China, was accused of illegally transferring NT$24.5 million (approximately $760,000) from China outside normal banking procedures. The case has attracted significant attention, largely due to Hsu’s status as a “mainland spouse”—a term for individuals born in China who moved to Taiwan after marrying a Taiwanese citizen.
The political landscape between Taiwan and China has been fraught since their split in 1949 after a civil war. China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has steadily increased military presence around the island. In response, Taiwan has been bolstering its defense capabilities and purchasing more arms.
The Taiwanese government accused Hsu of gathering intelligence for China and attempting to sway local politics. Prosecutors highlighted her communications with a Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs director about strategic political support for mainland spouses aiming for legislative roles in Taiwan’s Taipei mayoral and 2024 presidential elections.
Hsu, who gained Taiwanese citizenship after marriage, was once considered a candidate for the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) legislature. However, questions regarding her loyalty led to her withdrawal. “I had just wanted to serve New Residents,” Hsu stated in 2024, referencing the official term for immigrants in Taiwan.
In her role as head of the Cross Straits Marriage and Family Services alliance, an organization now disbanded for not conducting timely director elections, Hsu could not be reached for comments.
According to prosecutors, Hsu conducted meetings with Yang Wentao and Sun Xian, both influential figures in Chinese political organizations. These meetings allegedly included plans to support Taipei mayoral candidate Huang Shan-shan, who later joined the TPP, as well as presidential candidate Ko Wen-je.
Critics have expressed concerns about the case’s verdict, citing ambiguous charges. “The DPP government is deliberately avoiding drawing clear red lines, to ensure that it can arbitrarily weaponize this charge,” commented Shangguanluan, an advocate for mainland spouses in Taiwan.
In 2025, Taiwan deported three Chinese spouses advocating for reunification with China through military means, and instructed 12,000 mainland spouses with Taiwanese citizenship to cancel their Chinese household registrations.
Espionage and technology smuggling fears persist as Taiwan continues to prosecute related cases. In March, Taiwanese authorities investigated an attempt to smuggle advanced servers to China. Last year, four soldiers, including three from President Lai Ching-te’s security detail, received seven-year sentences for leaking sensitive information to China.
