Taiwan's military now vets staff by how much secret material they handle, not by rank

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense has put in place a clearance certification for everyone in the armed forces who handles classified information, applying the same vetting rules to uniformed and civilian staff regardless of rank. Defence Minister Wellington Koo told lawmakers on Wednesday 4 November that the higher the level of secrets a person can reach, the more rigorous the security investigation will be, according to the Central News Agency, United Daily News and TTV.

The ministry's business report to the Legislative Yuan for the new session says it has issued formal regulations on security investigations for military personnel with access to classified material. Under the system, staff must complete a check that matches the classification level they work with, only those found to pose no security risk may see defence secrets, and cleared personnel are placed under controls on travel in and out of Taiwan, United Daily News reported.

Koo spoke as the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee met to hear his report and question him. He said vetting is now tied to how much classified material a person actually handles rather than to rank, and that screening all military and civilian personnel so that the depth of checks fits their real access is the direction the ministry is working towards.

TTV reported that Koo linked the change to continued efforts by the People's Liberation Army to gather intelligence on Taiwan's military, and described the system as a way to guard against Chinese infiltration and keep military secrets secure.

Wider controls on data and suppliers

The report lists further measures to tighten protection of classified information. They include revising how classification levels map onto each other, moving requests to carry classified material in or out of facilities onto a digital application system, physically isolating rooms where classified work is done, adding security alert mechanisms and separating classified computer networks from other domains, according to United Daily News.

The armed forces are also introducing data governance rules that sort digital records by type, classification and intended use, with labelling, segmented access permissions and usage controls. The ministry says it will keep auditing sites that host classified projects and will check the backgrounds of defence-industry partners to block what it calls the red supply chain, along with unexplained money, technology or people, in order to reduce the risk that key technology, research results or classified information leak out.

A plan first raised after spy cases

The ministry first said it would create the certification in April 2025, when a run of espionage cases prompted a special report to the same committee. Koo told lawmakers then that China had shifted to low-cost online approaches aimed at junior officers and enlisted soldiers, using money or pressure to obtain information, and that the military would seek legal changes in response. He said at the time that a person's finances and frequent travel, especially to China, fell within the scope of checks, and that service members underwent security vetting every three years, Public Television Service reported.

Other questions at the session

Koo also answered questions on several other matters, the Central News Agency reported. He said the recent rise in Chinese military flights showed that the threat was constant and that the armed forces would publish what they detect and stay ready. On the second batch of F-16 Block 70 fighters bought from the United States, he said delivery was proceeding as planned and that an arrival date would be announced once confirmed.

Why it matters

The certification shifts Taiwan's military from vetting people largely by position to vetting them by what they can see, and extends scrutiny to the companies that build its equipment. The ministry presents it as a response to Chinese recruitment of service members, and lawmakers will be able to judge it against how espionage cases develop in the coming months.