By Lu Yixin
Zhou Manzhi, chairwoman of the Taiwan New Residents Care Association, was accused of acting under instructions from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to develop organizations in Taiwan. On Jan. 20, her retrial verdict was reversed from not guilty to an eight-year prison sentence. The case can be appealed. Upon the news, many netizens expressed support for the government’s harsh sentencing.
According to the Central News Agency, the Kaohsiung branch of the Taiwan High Court announced the retrial verdict at 9:30 a.m. on Jan. 20. Zhou Manzhi was sentenced to eight years in prison for violating the National Security Law. Zhou herself did not attend the hearing.
Regarding the reason for the major reversal of the verdict, the Kaohsiung High Court explained that according to the intelligence investigation report from the National Security Bureau and case materials, both the “Shaanxi Patriotic Volunteers Association” and the “China Patriotic Volunteers Association” were organized according to political instructions from the CCP’s United Front system. These organizations are substantially controlled by provincial-level CCP United Front authorities in personnel, policies, and operations, making them groups under the effective control of mainland Chinese authorities.
The court said the defendant, under the instructions of the “Shaanxi Patriotic Volunteers Association” and the “China Patriotic Volunteers Association,” established the “Kaohsiung New Residents Sisters Care Association” and the “Taiwan New Residents Care Association” in Taiwan. Acting in the name of these associations and as chairwoman, she actively planned and carried out activities with explicit United Front objectives, making them affiliated organizations of the two mainland associations.
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The judge stated that the defendant used the associations to infiltrate Taiwan’s mainland spouses, new residents, and second-generation new residents, posing a substantive threat to the existence of the Republic of China, Taiwan’s free and democratic constitutional order, and social stability. Her ongoing organizational development demonstrated intent to endanger national security and social order.
The court considered that the defendant, originally a mainland spouse, after obtaining Taiwanese residency, long-term and systematically collaborated with Chinese authorities, using the guise of associations to infiltrate mainland spouses, new residents, and their children in Taiwan. Under the pretext of promoting cross-strait economic and cultural exchanges, she executed United Front tasks for several years, progressing from a regional “Kaohsiung New Residents Sisters Care Association” to a nationwide “Taiwan New Residents Care Association.” The organizational hierarchy was strict, and she directly sought guidance and funding from top CCP United Front officials.
Zhou Manzhi’s crimes were distinct from traditional espionage
The court noted that her crimes were primarily ideological infiltration and United Front activities, distinct from traditional espionage such as spying or leaking military secrets. Considering she had no prior criminal record, she was sentenced to eight years for developing organizations under the National Security Law with the intent to endanger national security and social stability.
In its reasoning for overturning the previous verdict, the Supreme Court noted that the Kaohsiung High Court originally concluded, based on an investigation bureau report, that the “Shaanxi Patriotic Volunteers Association” and “China Patriotic Volunteers Association” were not substantially controlled by Chinese authorities, and partially dismissed the National Security Bureau’s information, leading to a not-guilty verdict. The Supreme Court found that the investigation was incomplete and the reasoning insufficient, warranting reversal.
The Supreme Court stated that the original verdict framed Zhou’s participation as an exercise of personal values. If seen objectively as developing organizations, it would overly restrict personal freedom. However, whether the “Kaohsiung New Residents Sisters Care Association” was an affiliated organization and issues of related financial flows were not fully investigated, thus the case was sent back to the Kaohsiung High Court for retrial.
The news of the verdict reversal triggered widespread discussion online, with netizens commenting:
Some netizens argued for heavier sentences or deportation: