TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — An alleged Chinese spy within the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Ho Jen-chieh (何仁傑), was expelled from the party on Sunday after being detained by national security agents over the weekend.

Ho is accused of spying for China while serving as an aide to former Foreign Minister and current National Security Council (NSC) Secretary General Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) during his tenure at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2018 to 2024. The DPP’s party headquarters in Yilan, where Ho was registered as a member, convened an emergency meeting on Sunday to address the situation, per UDN.

After deliberation, DPP leadership in Yilan voted to expel Ho from the party and permanently ban him from rejoining. He faces serious allegations of compromising national security and leaking classified intelligence to foreign actors.

At the Yilan meeting, it was revealed that Ho was not well known among local party members. Most senior members said they were unfamiliar with his background or activities prior to his DPP affiliation. They condemned his alleged actions as damaging to the party’s reputation and contrary to its core values of freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.

DPP Yilan Convener Hsieh Can-hui (謝燦輝) pledged full cooperation with prosecutors and called for Ho’s case to be handled in accordance with the law, per UDN.