President Ma Ying-jeou says he hopes to see further goodwill between Taiwan and Mainland China following a release of spies from both sides.
According to a defense ministry statement released Monday, two Taiwanese colonels working for the Military Intelligence Bureau (MIB) were arrested by China in 2006 on charges of spying along the China-Vietnam border. The two were originally sentenced to life in prison, but their term was later shortened to 18 years. They returned to Taiwan in mid-October after Chinese authorities released them.
Taiwan also released a Chinese spy at the end of October, though the defense ministry declined to call the move a spy swap.
On Monday, Presidential Office Spokesman Charles Chen talked about President Ma Ying-jeou’s hopes for further friendly cross-strait exchanges.
"The president said the release was due to the friendly gesture of the Ma-Xi meeting. President Ma is pleased that the two will be reunited with their family members," Chen said. "President Ma hopes that friendly interactions between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait will continue, and that there will be more positive results in the future."
The Ma-Xi meeting refers to the meeting between President Ma Ying-jeou and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Singapore during early November.