In 2021 a retired Taiwanese general named Kao An-kuo made a video of himself dressed in camouflage, calling on Taiwan’s armed forces to overthrow the island’s government.
The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (dpp) was full of “ethnic traitors” who were selling Taiwan out to America, he said, and obstructing the Chinese nation’s great rejuvenation. At that time it drew little attention.
Mr Kao was the ageing leader of a fringe pro-unification group with scarce support in Taiwanese society. But in January Mr Kao, who is now 80, was indicted for military espionage. Prosecutors allege that he and five others created an armed group to work with China’s armed forces towards an invasion of Taiwan.
They were accused of using drones to track military drills, reporting training results to China and trying to recruit more collaborators.
