Taiwan Ciaotou District Prosecutors Office Press Release

Issue Date: February 13, 2025
Contributor: Yu-Shan Yan ,Deputy Chief Prosecutor

        During the investigation of Xu ○-Dong for violating the Anti-Infiltration Act, prosecutors discovered that the defendant Zhang ○-Yao was also involved in similar offenses. Head Prosecutor Su Heng-Yi and Prosecutor Zhuang Cheng-Pin directed the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau Kaohsiung City Investigation Office to conduct an in-depth investigation. The case has now been concluded, and Zhang  ○-Yao has been indicted.

1. Summary of Criminal Acts

        The Kuomintang (KMT) had officially nominated Hou You-Yi as its presidential candidate on May 17, 2023.However, in order to intervene in and manipulate Taiwan’s presidential election, the Chinese government —through infiltrators such as Zhou  ○-Feng, Bian  ○-Ping, Jia  ○-Lian and Li ○—instructed Zhang ○-Yao to boost the public influence of then- prospective candidate Terry Gou. The aim was to pressure the KMT into replacing Hou You-Yi with Terry Gou as the party's presidential candidate, pairing him with Taiwan People's Party (TPP) chairman Ko Wen-Je as the vice-presidential candidate, thereby forming a "Gou-Ko ticket."

        On August 4, 2023, Zhang  ○-Yao hosted a forum titled "2024 Taiwan Presidential Election and the Interaction and Impact of U.S.-China. Relations," in which he promoted candidate Terry Gou. He also released a poll stating that if Terry Gou and Ko Wen-je cooperate to run, the support rates for the three main candidates would be: Lai Ching-Te 35.64%, "Gou-Ko ticket" 34.8%, Hou You-Yi 17.4%. He claimed that Terry Gou was the key to future opposition party integration, and if Gou and Ko collaborate, their poll numbers would be on par with Lai Ching-Te's, further promoting the "Gou- Ko ticket."

        On September 6, 2023, Zhang  ○-Yao drafted a document titled "Variables and Possible Developments in the 2024 Taiwan Presidential Election," and electronically signed. The document was sented to Zhou ○- Feng and other senior Chinese officials, where a written pledge of support for Terry Gou's candidacy in Taiwan. On September 11, 2023, he traveled to China to meet with Wang  ○-Ning, Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and Zhou ○-Feng to confirm the actual plans for Terry Gou's candidacy, thus intervening in Taiwan's presidential election.

2. Investigation Results

        The defendant's actions constitute violations of Article 4 of the Anti- Infiltration Act, and Article 43, Paragraphs 1, 3, and 6 of the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Election and Recall Act, including acting on instructions from infiltrating sources, commissioning public speeches, holding press conferences, and accepting media interviews, and using media platforms to support and promote a candidate.

News No. 114021301